Govt launches swine flu response teams
Oct 06, 2009
THE health ministry has set up rapid response teams in all districts to respond quickly to outbreaks of swine flu, James Kakooza, the State Minister for Health, said yesterday.
By Anne Mugisa
and Francis Kagolo
THE health ministry has set up rapid response teams in all districts to respond quickly to outbreaks of swine flu, James Kakooza, the State Minister for Health, said yesterday.
The ministry has also sent posters with guidelines on how to avoid contracting the disease and treat those infected to the education ministry for distribution in schools.
Meanwhile, a total of 16 students of Kitabi Seminary and Nyakasura School have been discharged from the isolation units in their schools after they recovered, Kakooza said.
Meanwhile, heads of secondary schools have expressed anxiety over the fast spread of the virus.
Most of the school heads The New Vision talked to yesterday said they were not well equipped to handle the disease which has infected 46 Ugandans so far, most of them students.
“Many of the schools are ill-prepared for swine flu. Something worse can happen,†said Josephat Tumwesigye, the headmaster of Kings Way Secondary School Igayaza in Kibaale district.
He appealed to the Government to sensitise school administrators and equip schools with first aid drugs.
“We have reserved two rooms to confine those who might catch the disease. But we still need support in terms of medicines from the ministry,†said Deogratius Ssengendo, the director of Mulusa Academy in Wobulenzi, Luwero district.
In a move to curb the further spread of the disease, the education ministry instructed all boarding schools not to allow students to go home until the term closes.
But head teachers of schools which offer both boarding and day programmes questioned the efficiency of the directive.
“We have students who come from their homes, shall we stop them?†Ssengendo wondered.
Swine flu was first reported in Uganda in July, four months after it broke out in Mexico, but health ministry officials said the cases here have been mild.
Swine flu cases have been confirmed in three schools but nobody in Uganda has died of the virus.
and Francis Kagolo
THE health ministry has set up rapid response teams in all districts to respond quickly to outbreaks of swine flu, James Kakooza, the State Minister for Health, said yesterday.
The ministry has also sent posters with guidelines on how to avoid contracting the disease and treat those infected to the education ministry for distribution in schools.
Meanwhile, a total of 16 students of Kitabi Seminary and Nyakasura School have been discharged from the isolation units in their schools after they recovered, Kakooza said.
Meanwhile, heads of secondary schools have expressed anxiety over the fast spread of the virus.
Most of the school heads The New Vision talked to yesterday said they were not well equipped to handle the disease which has infected 46 Ugandans so far, most of them students.
“Many of the schools are ill-prepared for swine flu. Something worse can happen,†said Josephat Tumwesigye, the headmaster of Kings Way Secondary School Igayaza in Kibaale district.
He appealed to the Government to sensitise school administrators and equip schools with first aid drugs.
“We have reserved two rooms to confine those who might catch the disease. But we still need support in terms of medicines from the ministry,†said Deogratius Ssengendo, the director of Mulusa Academy in Wobulenzi, Luwero district.
In a move to curb the further spread of the disease, the education ministry instructed all boarding schools not to allow students to go home until the term closes.
But head teachers of schools which offer both boarding and day programmes questioned the efficiency of the directive.
“We have students who come from their homes, shall we stop them?†Ssengendo wondered.
Swine flu was first reported in Uganda in July, four months after it broke out in Mexico, but health ministry officials said the cases here have been mild.
Swine flu cases have been confirmed in three schools but nobody in Uganda has died of the virus.