Top health ministry official warns doctors to stay on duty, hints Covid-19 VIP unit in sight at Mulago Hospital

By George Mangula

Health workers such as doctors, nurses, clinicians, surgeons and others must continue performing duties in their respective health facilities across the country and must not to use the fear of the highly infectious Coronavirus Disease (Covid-19) as an excuse to stay home, leaving patients with different ailments unattended to.

Dr. Diana Atwine, the health ministry permanent secretary, issued the advice last night to the health workers while appearing as a guest on Radio One Spectrum programme where she updated the public on Covid-19 and on-going preparations to combat the pandemic that has greatly disrupted all the sectors of the Ugandan and global economy in different ways.

Atwine said health workers in most government health facilities have access to personal protective equipments (PPEs) that can be used to attend to patients with illnesses other than the highly infectious Covid-19 that has so far seen over 50 cases registered even though some of the patients have been discharged after getting cured of the pandemic that has made Uganda almost come to a standstill just like her regional neighbours and the rest in the world that have the similar challenge.

She said hospitals and some other health facilities in the country at least have equipment such as gowns, gumboots, surgical masks, gloves and others that can enable health workers to attend to even Covid-19 suspects. This, she said is boosted by the fact that people entering hospitals now wash their hands with soap or sanitizers as a precaution to catching Covid-19.

As part of the on-going preparations, Atwine said Uganda has ordered from China 140 ventilators, 140 monitors, 140 intensive care units (ICUs) and 140 other components of ICUs. All these, she said, are expected in the country in the next two weeks and will be delivered to regional referral hospitals as well.

In addition she said 150 medical personnel have been recruited for Mulago Hospital, Entebbe Hospital as well as regional referral hospitals. She said volunteers would be utilized should the need arise. The 900-bed specialized women’s hospital, she said, would be used to handle Covid-19 cases and that about 134 ICUs are already available.

Covid-19 VIP unit in sight

That aside, Atwine hinted if need arises her ministry would establish VIP section at Mulago for Covid-19 cases even though she was coy to say whether the patients would pay for such a service. In Uganda VIPs are top politicians such as ministers, MPs, diplomats, some traditional leaders, wealthy businessmen, top government technocrats among a few others.

Atwine still urged Ugandans to stay safe in regard to Covid19, hinting that the critical stage is the next three to four weeks where there is need for aggressive control of the disease, which she said might lead to an extension of the 14-day lockdown that ends today Wednesday and President Museveni is to address the nation on the same.

As of today Uganda has registered 54 Covid-19 cases, zero deaths while seven have recovered. Total tests are 5025.

Atwine however said the Shs94 billion given to her ministry to acquire emergency supplies is not enough given that they had requested for Shs404 billion. She said of the Shs94 billion given to the ministry, 70 percent goes to buy supplies while the rest goes to human resource and surveillance activities.

However she said unlike the ongoing financial scandals in the Office of the Prime Minister, she will not entertain corruption in health ministry, saying money for different activities is spent according to plan that includes the principles of accountability and transparency when it comes to received monies.  

In another development, Atwine revealed that the ministers of health in the East African Community (EAC) are to meet soon to agree on the movement of people across borders that connect member states such as Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan.