Covid-19: Government probes how boda rider got infected
Boda boda rider. Dr Henry Mwebesa said at least 38 people who came into contact with the boda boda rider had already been traced by the response team. FILE PHOTO
What you need to know:
- Dr Robert Asaba, the medical director of Kisubi hospital, said on Saturday that the patient’s sample was taken from their hospital.
- According to a letter that was addressed to board members by hospital administration, the incidence has greatly alarmed workers and affected work at the facility.
The Ministry of Health is investigating how a boda boda rider from Wakiso District was among the 11 positive cases of Covid-19 declared last week.
Dr Henry Mwebesa, the director general of health services at the ministry, told Daily Monitor yesterday that the response team was still investigating the circumstances under which he got infected.
“The boda boda rider probably carried people who had returned from Dubai or maybe he has a relative who had travelled,” he said.
“Our team is in the [Entebbe Grade B] hospital to find out more from him. You know he was still sick and we couldn’t ask him many questions,” the director general added.
He said at least 38 people who came into contact with the boda boda rider had already been traced by the response team.
Kisubi hospital on red light
Dr Robert Asaba, the medical director of Kisubi hospital, said on Saturday that the patient’s sample was taken from their hospital.
According to a letter that was addressed to board members by hospital administration, the incidence has greatly alarmed workers and affected work at the facility.
“By Monday this week, we had sent samples for 12 patients to Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI), mostly people from Dubai and their results came back negative,” the letter read in part.
“But on Monday this week, we received a boda boda man brought by police from Kawuku with suspicious symptoms but with no travel history and decided to test him as well. Unfortunately, his results came out positive,” the letter further revealed.
“Covid-19 is already in our community......,” the letter said.
“We traced him with aid of the Entebbe hospital team and he was admitted to the Entebbe Hospital isolation unit yesterday. Today we took samples from about 55 contacts from the rental houses where he stays,” the letter revealed.
Impact of the case to the hospital
Kisubi Hospital. According to the hospital administration, this incidence prompted them to make a number of changes in the hospital.
“We have decided to transfer the adults ward back to the Heart centre and CHW to maternity ward to create a fully-fledged Covid-19 isolation centre for suspects,” the letter further revealed.
“Any positive patients will be transferred to Entebbe in the meantime. We have created a dedicated team to manage the suspects who will not mix with other staff. This will protect other patients and staff from the infection,” the management said in the letter.
