Soroti hospital steps up COVID-19 screening services

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Management of Soroti Regional Referral Hospital has stepped up covid-19 screening services.

Since Monday, all visitors and patients accessing the hospital are screened at the gate immediately they finish washing hands. The hospital management has erected a small tent at the gate to check temperatures of all persons accessing the facility using the infrared thermometer.

After the screening at the gate, patients are separated into different groups depending on their health conditions.

Dr Michael Mwanga, the Hospital Director says that all patients presenting with high temperatures are subjected to further screening to rule out the possible existence of the deadly virus. He explained that the hospital has now been equipped with medical supplies including 200 respirators for health workers to manage any condition.

On Tuesday, the hospital discharged three persons who have been under quarantine for more than two weeks. Seven others have been retained including the new entrants that joined the quarantine area located at Soroti Comprehensive Nursing School this week.

At the Tuberculosis ward, now turned into an Isolation Unit for COVID-19, another patient who presented with signs of the deadly virus was admitted on Tuesday, making the number- three.

Soroti Regional Referral Hospital has set up a team of 39 staff to manage COVID-19. The team comprises 12 doctors, 16 nurses, five clinicians, two pharmacists, three laboratory technicians and a storeman.

The hospital has also deployed a team at the gate to ensure that all people entering and leaving the hospital wash their hands. Besides, most of the patients at the Out-Patients’ Department- OPD stay a distance from each other to avoid the risk of infection, in case of any persons living with the virus.

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