Hospitals close as health workers contract Covid

The closure of hospitals in some districts due to Covid-19 infections among health workers has left thousands of patients stranded. 

Mr Godfrey Kabbyanga, the Kasese Municipality mayor, told Daily Monitor yesterday that Nyabirongo Health Centre III was closed after majority of its workers tested positive.
“Uganda Red Cross Society (URCS) has taken it [over],” he said. The health centre serves about 20,000 people in the district. The URCS said Kyondo Health Centre III in Kisinga Sub-county was also affected.

Dr Yusuf Baseka, the district health officer, said 13 out of 18 health workers at the facility tested positive but added that they were treating some patients from home to reduce the workload of health workers. 

“We have registered 218 infections in the last two weeks and 46 of them are health workers. We are managing it through home-based care where only those who need medical assistance are admitted,” he said. 
Three health facilities in Katakwi and Kapchorwa districts also closed fully or are operating partially. Magoro Health Centre III and Opeta Health Centre II both in Katakwi, which serve more than 30,000 people, were closed for a week.

 “There is no medical service being offered in Opeta and Magoro health centres. We appeal to government to fumigate the health centres,” Mr James Emongot Alengo, the Magoro Sub-country chairperson, said.
Residents have to walk long distances to access health facilities in Ngaraim, Toroma and Omodoi sub-counties.
The Ministry of Health is currently working with URCS to disinfect the facilities and provide emergency services to patients.

Dr Charles Olaro, the director of Clinical Services (curative), said the ministry had directed the management of the hospitals to stop closing the facilities.
He said the Health ministry was mobilising health workers from other facilities to support those affected by staff shortage.
 “We have guided facilities that we should restructure ourselves to ensure continuity of business. Districts were closing facilities and we have guided them that it is only the director-general who can close a facility,”  Dr Olaro said.

 “If there are challenges, we look at how to handle them; those who are at high risk go on quarantine. The impact of closing a health facility is much higher on patients,” he added. 
More than 1,000 health workers across the country have so far contracted Covid-19 while 10 have succumbed to the disease, statistics from the Ministry of Health indicate.