Masaka frontline health workers rewarded for managing COVID-19 patients

Masaka, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Thirteen frontline health workers at Masaka Regional Referral Hospital have been rewarded for their critical role in treating COVID-19 patients.

The rewards come a day after the team discharged the fourth COVID-19 patient, a female police officer who contracted the virus from her duty station in at Uganda-Tanzania border of Mutukula in Kyotera district.

Each of them received a cash reward of 500,000 Shillings and a good hamper presented by Herman Ssentongo, the Masaka Resident District Commissioner and Chairperson of the District Taskforce. Ssentongo says that as a local task force, they have found it worthwhile to appreciate the health workers for the commendable work so far done as well as motivating them to diligently perform in the tasks ahead.

According to him, the team has also been extolled for the rare brave character exhibited when they stood out and accepted to start treating confirmed patients even with minimal personal protective gear by the time the unit was put up.

Isabella Nyirazahawe, a Principal Nursing Officer in charge of the COVID-19 treatment centre at Masaka Hospital says the appreciation is an energizer to the health team at the facility. She explains that although the health workers are thrilled by the recovery of their patients, they equally need continuous moral and social support to boost their commitment towards work.

Nyirazahawe indicates that discharging the only female patient at the ward gives them confidence in continuing to manage more cases.

Doctor Mark Jjuuko the head of the treatment unit says all their patients are responding well to the treatment so far given which gives them the opportunity of building more technical capacity to locally handle the pandemic.

Most of the patients received at the unit according to Dr Jjuuko present with mild symptoms that include flu, fever and headache which however go off after the third day of constant treatment adding they have not had any patients progressing to acute illness.

Masaka hospital is now remaining with 20 patients still undergoing treatment.

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