Four COVID-19 positive truck drivers admitted to Arua Hospital

Four truck drivers who were intercepted in Pakwach District on Thursday night after testing positive for COVID-19, have been isolated at Arua Regional Referral Hospital.

The truck drivers who entered Uganda through Mutukula border were tested and left to continue with their journey, while awaiting their results from the Uganda Virus Research Institute.

By the time the results were released, the drivers had arrived in Pakwach and were intercepted by the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) following the notice to have them intercepted.

They were subsequently transferred to Arua Hospital, which was earlier on gazetted as an isolation centre for COVID-19 patients. Dr Joyce Moriku, the State Minister for Primary Healthcare says that the cases will be ably managed at Arua hospital.

The Arua Hospital Director, Dr Philbert Nyeko told Daily Monitor: “What we need now are the supplies because we have trained doctors, nurses who can handle the cases. You are aware that internationally and nationally there is outcry of protective gears. That is what we need for the workers.”

Seven people who reportedly interacted with the truck drivers before reaching Pakwach town have been quarantined at Uganda College of Commerce in Pakwach.

The town was thrown into confusion for a moment as security battled crowds along the main avenue as the ambulances arrived with the four patients. The security teams were allegedly acting on security reports indicating that the people were planning to burn the hospital upon admission of the four Tanzanian drivers.

Some of the leaders also expressed mixed reactions to the establishment of the quarantine centre at Mvara PTC 

“We shall not allow them here because the place is not well fenced. What if they escape from here and get into the public? We shall not accept this mess here, they should be taken to better fenced places where there is enough security,” the Aringa South County MP, Mr Yorke Odria, said.

Arua District Chairman Sam Nyakua called for more sensitisation of the locals to avoid more susceptibility to the pandemic.

A week ago, political leaders from Gulu blocked the admission of another truck driver who had tested positive to the virus at Gulu Regional Hospital, saying that the team at the hospital was ill-prepared to deal with patients of that nature.

Reports indicate that the fifth truck driver from Tanzania has been intercepted at Vurra customs and is expected to be admitted at Arua hospital for further management.

This is the first time Arua will be hosting COVID-19 positive cases and quarantined suspects since the outbreak of the pandemic a month ago.