Uganda to receive medical supplies to combat COVID-19

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Uganda will receive a consignment of vital medical equipment. The consignment will include; Personal Protective Equipment-PPE and testing equipment.

According to the health ministry, a total of 18,900 sample collection kits, 18,900 sample transport kits and 3,800 disposable medical gowns will be supplied. Others include 3,800 face shields, 36 thermometer guns and 15 ventilators.

The medical supplies were donated by the Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and the Jack Ma Foundation Initiative. Uganda last month received 20,000 test kits from the Jack Ma Foundation.

Dr Henry Mwebesa, the Director-General of Health Services at the ministry of health says that the equipment will go a long way in enabling the country’s COVID-19 response plan.

“We were running low on test kits and that is why we had decided to only test people who showed symptoms. We are tracing 18,000 travellers and the equipment we are receiving will help us test any asymptomatic people,” Dr Mwebesa said.

Previously, the country has only had 75 ventilators. With an addition of the 15 ventilators, Dr Mwebesa says they will be sent out to hospitals that did not have any ventilators.

“There are some hospitals like Mulago that have ventilators. With this new stock, we shall prioritize those regional referral hospitals that did not have ventilators,” he said.

Two weeks ago, Uganda had only 10 percent of the required PPE. According to Dr Mwebesa, the consignment will equip the country for at least five months.

So far, Uganda has a total of 55 confirmed cases of COVID-19.

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