Ebola outbreak: Health workers on high alert

Health facilities and workers in districts bordering the DR Congo are all in alert of Ebola after one person was confirmed dead due to Ebola in Kasese District.
Kibiito Health Centre IV in Bunyagabu District, Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital in Kabarole District, Karugutu Health Centre IV in Ntoroko District and other health facilities in other districts and their staff have been put on full alert since Tuesday.
The Bunyagabu District health officer, Dr Richard Obeti, said since the outbreak of the dreaded disease in Kasese District early this week, they have intensified their preparedness with all health workers in the facilities urged to handle every case with a lot of care and safety.
Dr Obeti said there has been laxity among health workers but they are now sensitising all health workers about the outbreak of the disease.
“We are miving down to all health facilities to see that health workers are on high alert. We are also sensitizing people on precautionary measures such as washing hands at all health facilities and other public places,” Dr Obeti told Daily Monitor yesterday.
He revealed that the Ministry of Health recently gave them an ambulance to transport patients for referrals, saying this will ease transportation of patients in case of emergencies.
The Ntoroko District health officer, Dr Rodgers Mugisha, said ever since Ebola outbreak was confirmed in DRC Congo, they have been carrying out screening of people at all entry points on Lake Albert.
“We are doing hand washing in all schools and other public places and screening people at our entry points to ensure that no person enters Ntoroko before he or she is screened for Ebaola. I think these measures have helped us to ensure there is no Ebola case in our district,” Dr Mugisha said in an interview yesterday.
The Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital director, Dr Florence Tugumisirize, said the facility has more than 100 trained staff in Ebola case management and the staff are on alert and ready to handle any Ebola case in case it is referred.
She said the Ebola isolation centre established with support from JEMEDIC in 2018, is ready.
“We have identified one ward which we have renovated where we shall be admitting the Ebola suspects. It is well-equipped with beds and we have a lab that can give us results on Ebola within two hours as we wait for final results from the Uganda Virus Research Institute,” Dr Tugumisirize said.
She added that tomorrow, all staff trained in Ebola case management will undergo drills to rejuvenate their skills.