Refugees demand COVID-19 testing, quarantine centres in camps

Arua, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Refugees in the West Nile have demanded the establishment of institutional quarantine centers in the camps. Currently, persons who are suspected to have COVID-19 are taken to quarantine centres in Arua, far away from the camps.

COVID 19 suspects in the camps in Madi and Terego are also transported to Arua making the two quarantine centres congested. Recently, health officials decided to establish another centre at Goboro Health Centre III due to the increased number of new entrants to Bidi Bidi settlement in Yumbe district.

According to a section of refugees URN spoke to, there is a need for the establishment of sample extraction and quarantine centres in the camps instead of taking the suspects to Arua, which they say makes it difficult for them to coordinate with family members.

The demand was made during events to commemorate the World Refugee Day on Saturday. The day, this year is being commemorated under the theme; Everyone can make a difference, Every Action Counts.

Gasper Ondoga, the head of  the COVID-19 surveillance office and lab committee equally observes that the need for isolation and quarantine centre in refugee camps at Omugo and IMVEPI is urgent to reduce the risk of infection during transportation of suspects to Arua.

He says due to the inflow of people from South Sudan to the camps through illegal routes, the risk in the camps is higher than for locals in the quarantine centres in Arua.

Paul Bishop Drileba,  the Arua District Health Officer says that the district has already tasked the United Nations High Commission for Refugees -UNHCR and to ensure immediate operationalization of quarantine centres to manage those in the settlements.

While interventions of sensitization and advocacy on COVID-19 preventive measures are ongoing in the settlement camps, there are fears that the challenge of COVID-19 among the refugees requires establishment of centres and stationed health personnel to manage the situation.

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URN