FEAR AS UGANDA HEALTH WORKERS COULD TURN INTO DEADLY COVID-19 VECTORS

By Nathan Ngobi

President Yoweri Museveni on 13th April extended the country’s lockdown for another 21 days in a bid to curb the coronavirus pandemic spread in Uganda however to the contrary shocking secret details worrying the public is that several health workers have failed to apply the measures put forword by their line ministeries and president

Health workers from several different hospitals currently move in tens in same vehicles without masks and other protective gears putting at risk the lives of the members of the public’ patients at Health centres and their families

Following the presidential directive to extend another 21 days lockdown over coronavirus pandemic a visit at Mbale refferal Hospital shocked our lenses seeing several health workers at the hospital compound boarding an omnbus vehicle which is entitled to carry only 14passengers insteaded carrying between 20 and 30 health workers as other could on fellow occupants in the vehicle an issue that has continuously worried the members of the public that these officers would end up acting like Coronavirus vectors causing a more worse COVID 19 pandemic than what the president endeavoured to fight and protect

Masaba Tonny a resident of Namatala in Industrial division told Second Opinion Magazine that on several days health workers board same vehicle in big numbers failing to observe the presidential directive on coronavirus pandemic but instead do the opposite

“We are living under fear here Mbale because the health workers who treat us do not observe the presidential directive on coronavirus pandemic and for any posible case we shall end up having trouble since there is nothing like health workers practicing social distance ‘ no protective gears like masks even our RDC who head the # COVID-19# task force in the district does not practice social distancing after we see him addressing media and security meetings at zero distance” said Masaba

The vehicles used to load a big number of health workers had UG number and UAX 017J owned by one of the schools in Mbale

Masaba raised the fear that reports indicate that some Government owned vehicles now park at Health centres manning #Covid 19 cases and are used carry people as passengers upon paying huge cash without reciepts and drive them to their destinations since the vehicles Red number plates Masaba added

However pur endless numerous calls to Mbale RDC Barasa Ogajo who heads the district task force failed to recieve while Dr. Jonathan Wangisi the DHO Mbale his pbone was off

Ogajo in our pictures without observing social distance taken on Thursday afternoon addressing the media in Mbale

The Second Opinion Magazine carried out a sample at different health Refferal Hospitals say in Iganga and reports there indicated that 5 people who were seriously admitted at the Nakavule Hospital on suspicion of being cases of Covid 19 after several symptoms indicated the disease shocked locals when they escaped from the Hospital

A follow up was made and some arrests but instead they were cautioned to quarantine themselves at their homes

Iganga deputy RDC Ahimbisibwe Gad Egaju revealed that a serious follow up to these escaped cases are in high gears to see that they do not contaminate the public should they end up proving cases of Covid 19

Hudu Hussein Kampala Kawempe RCC speaking to Second Opinion Magazine over the situation in his area said that though the food distribution is going on well in his area but Kalerwe and Bwayise residents have adamantly reluxed the measures of washing hands

” we closed the market of Kalerwe after people failed to adhare to the presidential directive protective guidelines say of social distancing ‘ washing hands with soap’ as some places they just move and enter areas without washing hands an issue that iz worrying us as leaders in Kawempe” said Hudu Hussein the area RCC