COVID-19: Lira hospital discharges 20 people

COVID-19 |

It was all excitement at Lira Regional Referral Hospital Saturday afternoon when all the 20 COVID-19 patients who were admitted for treatment were discharged after successful treatment.

The first patient to be admitted at Lira treatment centre was a 34-year-old truck driver from Kyaggwe in Mukono district.

He was intercepted at Kamdini town in Oyam district on May 14, 2020. He was discharged a week ago.  

However, one other person from the quarantine centre at Lira school of comprehensive nursing has tested positive and will be admitted to the treatment unit.

Dr. Stephen Obbo, the Director of Lira Regional Referral Hospital says within one week, the centre was full to capacity with 21 patients, most of them Ugandans, three Kenyans and one South Sudanese, all truck drivers intercepted at Elegu in Amuru or Kamdini in Oyam district.

He says all the patents were either asymptomatic or had mild COVID-19 symptoms.

Challenge

Dr. Obbo says the budget is so restrictive with no provision for renovation of the centre, which is in a sorry state with poor waste management. He says they had to construct a pit latrine since there is no incinerator.

He says there is no provision for patients' amenities and entertainment, so patients were idle and bored throughout their stay at the centre.

Dr. Obbo also says there was a delay in receiving results from UVRI forcing them to take other samples to Tororo where it was expedited.