Nakaseke taskforce asks contacts of Covid-19 patients to self-isolate

Nakaseke, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Nakaseke district taskforce has directed all contacts of covid-19 patients to self-isolate due to lack of resources to operate the quarantine centres.

The district has registered nine positive cases of COVID- 19. The latest eight cases were registered at Kiwoko hospital after health workers tested positive of the virus. The health workers contracted the disease after one of them attended a burial in Buikwe district.

According todistrict surveillance report, at least 354 contacts have been traced from the health workers and community after they interacted with the positive patients. However, only 10 contacts have been placed under institutional quarantine at Kiwoko hospital.

Fred Nayebare Kyamuzigita the chairperson of Nakaseke district task force on COVID- 19 says that the district gazetted Nakaseke hospital and Kiwoko hospital as quarantine centers but unfortunately they have failed to receive funding from the Ministry of Health.

Kyamuzigita says that the quarantine center at Nakaseke hospital stopped admitting the suspects after failing to secure Personal Protective Equipment- PPE for health workers, beddings and food among other requirements for the suspects.

He says that less than 10 contacts have been quarantined at Kiwoko hospital and others directed to self-isolate over lack of capacity.

However, Kyamuzigita says this was risky after reports emerged that one of the key suspected COVID- 19 patient escaped from home and his whereabouts are unknown.

It is reported that the district surveillance team has also scaled down on contact tracing citing fuel shortage and lack of vehicles.

Ntumwa Matovu, the administrator of Nakaseke Hospital says that apart from lack of resources, they also have no budget to cater for extra drugs needed to manage other chronic illness of contacts.

A health worker at Kiwoko hospital who preferred anonymity says the facility is also constrained over lack of support from the taskforce and many of contacts have since been discharged.

Disan Lwanga, the district councillor for Kiwoko town council says that there are fears that people who are under self-isolation are not observing the guidelines over lack of enforcement which may contribute to community infections.

The district taskforce on COVID- 19 has since appealed to the Ministry of Health to extend funding to the district to contain the spread of the disease in the community.

Uganda has so far registered 1,560 confirmed cases and 15 COVID-19 deaths.

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