INMATES | LUZIRA | PRISONS 

KAMPALA - Luzira Prisons has received medical assortment from United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

The equipment worth $25,000 approximately (sh91m) will be fixed in High Dependency Unit (HDU) which is currently under renovation.

An HDU is a specially staffed and equipped area of a hospital that provides a level of care intermediate between intensive care and general ward care.

The equipment includes airflow splitters, non-re-breather oxygen masks, hospital oxygen regulators, coveralls, face shields and oxygen cylinders.

Speaking at the handover of the items, Dr James Kisambu the assistant commissioner in charge of health services Uganda Prisons Service said, the HDU facility at Kampala Remand Prison will have three wards each having a 150 beds capacity.

He further revealed that “most of the equipment is already available and waiting for its completion to equip it,’’

Kisambu further revealed that they had trained 300 health workers to manage the HDU adding that by December the refurbishment and equipping of HDU will be finalised.

“The difference between an HDU from the rest of admission wards is that HDU is for patients that are critical and need more focused care. One HDU bed is about sh3m because it has a lot of functions that would help the patient and it also requires highly trained health workers that manage the patient and the equipment in there,’’ he said.

The Head of Office UNODC, Sharon Nyambe, commended the Uganda Prisons Service in responding to COVID-19.

Nyambe said the donation aimed at enhancing the existing COVID-19 response in prisons. 

She pledged continued support to Uganda’s efforts to reduce prison overcrowding.

How prisons beat COVID-19

Kisambu said they emphasised the wearing of masks, separated the new admissions from the community, from those that were already on the ward.

He added that they screened new inmates to prevent them from infecting those that had already been admitted. 

“After the screening, we would admit them and if anyone was found to be positive the whole batch would be isolated and PCR tests would be carried out," he said.

They also emphasised screening and if anyone was found to be positive the whole batch would be isolated and PCR tests would be carried out.

Commissioner prisons John Bosco Tumwebaze promised that the Uganda Prisons will put the equipment to the right use and right beneficiaries.  

Photo by Nancy Nayonga