Health ministry to recruit 1,000 Ebola fighters

Government is set to recruit more than 1,000 health workers to strengthen the fight against Ebola across the country.
Addressing the media in Kampala yesterday,  Health minister, Ms Jane Ruth Aceng, said among the health workers to be recruited are epidemiologists, physicians, paediatricians, laboratory technologists, health inspectors and psycho-social staff.

“We are recruiting 1,490 additional staff, not only for Kampala but to support the entire response. This is in addition to those that are already in the system,” Ms Aceng said.
“Currently we have many mobile laboratories which are ready for deployment and expect more from our partners. Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) is training more than 20 laboratory people that will be able to handle these laboratories,” she added.

Last month, the government confirmed an Ebola outbreak in the country and has since then made efforts to contain the spread of the disease. Among measures being taken include restricting movement in the affected districts of Mubende and Kassanda.
While inspecting the two isolation centres at Mulago and Entebbe yesterday, Minister Aceng said as part of the Ebola fight preparedness, the government will set up another centre at Mulago Dental School playground.

“We have two isolation centres, one at Mulago hospital with a capacity of 120 people and another at Entebbe hospital, which can accommodate 62 people. Government has decided to put another isolation centre at Mulago Dental School playground with a capacity of 60 people. It will be equipped with all the amenities so that it operates like a full hospital,” she said.
The minister added: “The design of the facility (isolation centre) shall be done on Saturday and the actual construction to commence on Monday. The entire project is expected to be complete in one month.”
  As of yesterday, statistics from the Ministry of Health indicated that there are 64 confirmed Ebola cases, and 24 deaths, while 24 people have been discharged. Statistics also indicate that four children are under medical attention at various health facilities after testing positive for the virus while four new cases have been registered since the lockdown was imposed.

Ms Aceng said all contacts from Kassanda and Mubende were traced and taken to the isolation centres at Mulago hospital and other health facilities.
The minister also said two Ebola vaccines are already in the country awaiting clinical trials.
“We received two candidate vaccines, the Oxford vaccine from the United Kingdom and the Sabin vaccine from the United States of America. The teams that are going to handle the vaccine are ready and as soon as the investigative team tells us to try the vaccine we shall be bringing them” Ms Aceng said.