Uganda border points get sh90m medical supplies to fight COVID-19
May 19, 2020
The medial supplies worth sh90m were handed over to the Ministry of Health officials by the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD)
The Uganda border points of Busia and Elegu have been boosted with Personal Protection Equipment (PPE), medical equipment and patient care supplies to help in the continued fight against COVID-19.
The medial supplies worth sh90m were handed over to the Ministry of Health officials by the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) on Tuesday at the ministry headquarters, in Kampala.
The PPEs included Patient Monitors with bio-lights, suction pumps, pulse oximeters, medical mattresses, aprons, sterile swabs, N-95 respirator masks, eye goggles, sanitizers, gumboots and gloves.
Lucy Daxbacher Odong, the migration expert at IGAD, said the support is as a result of the extraordinary summit meeting of the IGAD heads of state that took place on March 30 in which they launched the funds.
She said the emergency kits are specifically meant to support IGAD member states at the points of entry for trans-highway truck drivers. And also, to support the communities along the trans-highway routes of IGAD regions.
"This fund is going to support the ministry of health for the next 24 months, and overall, the funders initially started with the 60m euro fund, where they started with the giving out of testing kits at Elegu and Busia border points," she said.
She emphasised that the IGAD executives and staffs appreciate the government of Uganda for the excellent response it has put in place towards managing the COVID-19 crisis.
According to Daxbacher, IGAD in collaboration with the ministries of health, is providing the supplies to key medical centres at international border posts in all the IGAD member states (Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda).
Dr Jane Ruth Acheng, the Minister for Health, appreciated IGAD secretariat for the support towards the COVID-19 response in Uganda and other IGAD countries.
Acheng said the main challenge now lies at the points of entry and also the border communities because that is where the source of infection is coming from.
"The border point at Elegu is where most people are getting infected as they move on with their work to South Sudan. So, it is important that health workers are protected as we identify the positive people," she said.
She noted that the National Medical Laboratory and National Medical Stores (NMS) will go through the items to see what can be sent to particular borders as per the urgent need.
Uganda today has 260 confirmed cases, with 57 active ones, 73485 samples tested, 63 recoveries and no deaths.