Italian doctor monitored for Ebola

DR Andrea Gaitano, an Italian who treated the late Dr. Matthew Lukwiya, the Lacor Medical Superintendent, who died of Ebola this week, has been stopped from reporting on duty at Hoima Hospital. He is now being monitored at his home in Kijungu, a suburb of Hoima town. Amlan Tumusiime reports that Gaitano was assigned to take care of Dr. Lukwiya in Lacor Hospital where he had been admitted. The Italian kept at Lukwiya's side until he died. There was reportedly a stampede at Hoima Hospital on Wednesday as nurses and other medical workers took to their heels when Gaitano returned. The Hoima district LC5 chairman, James Rwebembera, told a meeting of hospital workers yesterday that Gaitano will be monitored for 21 days. He said the district director of health services, Dr. Matthew Emer, would check on Gaitano three times a day. "On Wednesday, I was at the Italian embassy in Kampala and we received information that the medical staff at the hospital had run away on seeing Dr. Gaitano in the hospital premises," Rwebembera said. Simon Mulongo, the Resident District Commissioner, Beatrice Byenkya, the Woman Member of Parliament, Hajji Moses Balimwoyo, the regional Police commander, midwestern, and Dr. Fred Kiyimba, the acting medical superintendent attended the meeting. Kiyimba said AVIS, an Italian international non-governmental organisation, had donated protective gear worth sh12m in case of an outbreak of Ebola in the district. Hoima is about 35 miles from Masindi where the disease has so far killed 14 people. Mulongo, who is also the Hoima district Ebola task force chairman, said the task force committees would monitor the villages. Patients at the hospital said they were disappointed at the development because Gaitano had been taking good care of them. Italy on Thursday announced scholarships to Ugandan doctors in memory of Lukwiya. The US has also made a similar offer. Ends.