Health centres run out of PPEs, beds in Bukedi 

Health centres III in various districts in Bukedi Sub-region have run out of Personal Protective Gear (PPEs), beds and vaccines as coronavirus cases continue to soar across the country.

The health workers attached to different facilities have since threatened to boycott work if the government doesn’t provide them with medical equipment such as masks, gloves and face shields.

They allege that most of the health centres ran out of such equipment during the first wave of the pandemic and that the government has never restocked the facilities.

The Butaleja assistant district health officer in charge of environmental health, Mr Henry Isogoli, said health workers won’t risk their lives unless they are provided with medical equipment.

“We don’t have gloves, masks, cover roll,  and surgical masks to use. We are using our money to buy these personal equipment since this second of Covid-19 wave started,” he said.

The district has 24 health facilities including two hospitals, one Health centre IV, 11 health centres III and 10 health centre IIs.

Mr Isogoli, who also heads the district Covid-19 rapid response team, said the consignment of hand gloves and facemasks were last delivered at the health centres last year.

He said the current situation has put the lives of health workers at risk of contracting the virus from the patients.

“If we are not given equipment to protect us against the risk of coronavirus infections, we shall strike,”Mr Isogoli said.

Mr Isogoli said some of the health centres admit Covid-19 patients from the neighbouring districts of Tororo, Namutumba, and Budaka.

The medical superintendent of Busolwe Hospital in Butaleja, Dr Ivan Wambi, said Covid-19 cases in the district are on the increase.  

The district has registered more than 45 cases of Covid-19 since the second wave started.

“Last week alone, we took 20 samples and 18 turned out positive. This is an indicator that we have a big number of people infected with the virus in the community,”Dr Wambi said.

He attributed the rising cases to people’s failure to put on masks and keep social distance.

Mr Stephen Akwoyo, the Butaleja District health educator, said some locals who have Covid-19 hide in their homes.

“They don’t want to come for treatment or testing. We are appealing to people who are not feeling well to come for testing,’’ Mr Akwoyo, said.

He appealed to the Ministry of Health to send them a rapid diagnostic test (RDT), saying results from the samples, which are taken to Kampala, delay to return, causing a lot of anxiety among patients.

RDT detects the presence of viral proteins (antigens) expressed by the Covid-19 virus in a sample from the respiratory tract of a person.

Butaleja Resident District Commissioner Stanley Bayole acknowledged the problem of shortages of medical equipment.

“Its true health workers don’t have PPE gear but the government is going to send them,”Mr Bayole said.

The Butaleja chairperson, Mr Michael Higenyi Bory, said they have written to the Health ministry for intervention.

“We need an extra hand to intervene because we are losing people in the district due to Covid-19. Shockingly testing kits are out of stock,” Mr Higenyi said.

According to him, the shortage resulted from delays by the National Medical Stores to deliver supplies to the facilities.

The Butaleja District speaker, Mr Yunus Hamira, said people are dying of Covid-19 at Busolwe General Hospital due to lack of oxygen.  

Busolwe General Hospital, which is the treatment centre for all Covid-19 patients in Butaleja, has over the two weeks registered a surge in cases, especially those in critical condition.

“Patients who need oxygen are referred to Mbale Regional Referral Hospital and to make the matter worse, this people are poor. Transporting patients from Butaleja to Mbale is expensive,’’ Mr Hamira said.

The acting district health officer for Tororo, Sr Connie Bwire, said most of the health centres have no protective gear and vaccines.

“Our health workers don’t have the protective gear to shield them against the virus,” she said.

The district health officer for Budaka, Dr Elisa Mulwani, said they are yet to receive the protective gear and other equipment.

“We have one death and seven Covid-19 cases. We may have other deaths in the coming days,” he said.

Dr Mulwani cautioned the communities to maintain vigilance and adhere to the Ministry of Health guidelines of washing hands,  wearing facemasks and social distancing.

Mr Desmas Wafula, a caretaker of a Covid-19 patient in Busolwe hospital, blamed the increasing cases of Covid cases on politicians.

“Recently, politicians in the district organised a thanksgiving ceremony and hundreds of people attended without enforcing SOPs,”  Mr wafula said.

The Butaleja District health officer, Dr Siraji Kizito, said some health workers have contracted the virus due to lack of protective gears.

“The situation is worrying and we ask the government to intervene,” he said.

Mr Emmanuel Ainebyoona, the Ministry of Health spokesperson, said the affected districts should request for the protective gear. 

“They should request for the PPEs and if they have requested, they should show evidence to that effect,” he said.