Gulu Hospital expands COVID-19 treatment centre

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Gulu Regional Referral Hospital has increased its capacity to admit more COVID-19 patients.

This follows the renovation of the Multi-drug-resistant Tuberculosis (MDR-TB) ward at the hospital that has improved the capacity to 100. The hospital initially had space for only 14 cases.

Emmanuel Ainebyoona, the public relations officer Ministry of health says they expanded the space at the hospital because Elegu border post had registered an increase in the number of truck drivers being diagnosed with COVID-19.

The hospital now has 66 COVID-19 positive patients. So far, only the first case that was admitted at the hospital has been discharged.

Bishop Loum Janani, the In-Charge of integrated case management at the hospital explains that the cases are rising because some contacts in self and institutional quarantine centres are beginning to test positive.

Loum disclosed one confirmed cases was identified from Gulu School of Clinical Officers institutional quarantine centre while two others tested positive from Pabbo Secondary School quarantine facility in Amuru district.

With the community infections being singled out, the Spokesperson of Gulu COVID-19 task force Martin Ojara Mapenduzi allayed fears of a possible mass outbreak of the disease and urged Ministry of Health to equip lower health centres to treat the virus disease.

But Dr Jackson Amone, the Commissioner of Clinical Services at the Ministry of Health told URN that to lessen the disease burden on hospitals, the Ministry is considering establishing non-traditional treatment and home quarantine centres to manage infections.

Yoweri Idiba, the District Health Officer, also the secretary of the task force revealed that they have responded to over 1,598 COVID-19 alerts while 285 suspects were discharged from both self and institutional quarantine centres.

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