Covid -19 patient forced out of Kayunga classroom ceiling

Soldiers at the gate of Namagabi Secondary School which is hosting a quarantine centre for suspected Covid-19 patients in Kayunga District. The soldiers were deployed to contain a protest by the suspected cases after their quarantine was extended. PHOTO BY FED MUZAALE

What you need to know:

  • Relatedly, over 80 primary contacts of Covid-19 patients who are now being kept at Kayunga General Hospital went on strike protesting a decision by the district Covid -19 task force to extend their stay at the facility.

A combined operation of police, army and medical workers in Kayunga District has recovered a Covid-19 patient who was hiding in a class room block ceiling.
Kayunga Resident District Commissioner, Ms Kikomeko Mwanamwoiza who heads the district Covid -19 task force on Saturday said the patient aged 30 is a resident of Nazigo Central Ward in Nazigo Town Council.
According to Ms Mwanamwoiza, the patient who is a truck driver was late last week tested for Covid-19 at Lwakhakha border point in Namusindwa District as he returned from Kenya, where he had taken pineapples.

"When the results revealed that he was positive, the medical team in Kayunga was informed and given all details of the patient," She said adding “However, efforts to get him to the hospital for treatment proved futile as we could not locate him and his relatives also said they didn't know his whereabouts."
This, Kayunga district police commander, Mr John Lukooto, said forced them to swing into action in a bid to find him.
Mr Lukooto explained that they later received information that he had been seen at his relative’s home taking food to a nearby primary school called Canon Junior School.

"The police and army surrounded the school and later mounted a search in all buildings and later found him hiding in the ceiling with a mattress, cups and plates" Mr Lukooto said.
After being arrested, the RDC said the patient was taken to Jinja Regional Referral hospital where he is receiving treatment.
A number of his relatives were also quarantined at Kayunga hospital.
According to medical workers, the patient said he had decided to hide himself because he feared to be kept in the hospital for a long time.
Relatedly, over 80 primary contacts of Covid-19 patients who are now being kept at Kayunga General Hospital went on strike protesting a decision by the district Covid -19 task force to extend their stay at the facility.
According to the district health officer, Dr Ahmed Matovu, the suspected cases refused to eat and also shouted demanding that they are set free since the mandatory 14 days quarantine had elapsed.

"We could not let them go since we had discovered two Covid -19 cases among them," Dr Musisi said.
The army was called in to quell the protest.
The RDC said the move to extend the quarantine period was done to ensure that they had not been infected.
Since March, six Covid - 19 cases have been recorded in Kayunga and of these have since recovered and been discharged.