The absence of a special team of health workers treating COVID-19 patients in Mayuge district is frustrating the management of the viral infection, the Task Force has revealed.
According to available records, Mayuge district has cumulatively registered 37 COVID-19 cases from the 500 people tested using the rapid diagnosis. Five of the cases have fully recovered whereas 32 are under home-based care management.
However, the district is struggling to manage COVID-19 cases due to lack of a special team dedicated to treating the patients. Zamzam Nakyesa, whose relative is under home-based care, says that a health worker has only seen them once in two weeks.
“My sister is asthmatic and she experiences frequent attacks, which makes her case complicated for us to manage. However, ever since the health workers came to inform us on how she had contracted coronavirus, they have never returned to check on her despite our frequent calls requesting for their intervention,” she said.
Richard Isabirye, the Mayuge District COVID-19 Surveillance Focal Person, says that the health workers mandated with managing other cases in the general wards and handle both critical and home-based care COVID-19 patients.
He says that the Health Workers are overworked, saying there is need for the Health Ministry to improvise by recruiting more to complement their efforts.
He attributes the low COVID-19 cases in the district to inadequate testing kits arguing that although many community members desire to test, priority goes to cases with symptoms.
Isabirye says that they have since designated a 20-bed ward as their COVID-19 Isolation and Treatment center at Buluba General Hospital. He also says that health workers lack Personal Protective Equipment-PPEs for the effective management of positive cases.
James Shilaku, the Mayuge Resident District Commissioner who also doubles as the COVID-19 Task force Chairperson, says that they are collaborating with nongovernment organizations to conduct sensitization drives and provide PPEs as they wait for a lasting solution from the Health Ministry.
