Mulago Women's Hospital turned into COVID-19 centre
Jun 18, 2020
The health minister, Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng, in her last briefing on Uganda’s response to COVID-19, said the changes at the Mulago Women’s Hospital had already begun with the provision of 450 beds, including 35 adult and 30 paediatric Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds.
By Vision Reporter
The health ministry has converted the Mulago Women's Hospital into a COVID-19 treatment centre. The move is intended to address medical solutions, should COVID-19 cases continue to rise in the country.
The health minister, Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng, in her last briefing on Uganda's response to COVID-19, said the changes at the Mulago Women's Hospital had already begun with the provision of 450 beds, including 35 adult and 30 paediatric Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds.
CASES INCREASE
The health ministry yesterday confirmed nine new COVID-19 cases from the 2,677 samples tested on June 14. Four new cases were among 1,813 samples tested at points of entry while fi ve new cases were among 864 samples from alerts and contacts.
The total number of COVID-19 confirmed cases in Uganda is now 705. Whereas Uganda has not registered any COVID-19-related deaths, the cases, especially fuelled by local transmissions, continue to rise. Thirty-three districts had registered community cases by Saturday, last week.
COMMUNITY INFECTIONS
This is where the illness spreads within communities. This marks a shift from a situation where all previous cases were being imported into the country by truck drivers and travellers from highly affected countries.
Sunday's confirmed cases
To ensure continuity of medical care without disruption, Aceng said the ministry has since excluded the use of general hospitals and health centres IV for the treatment of COVID-19 cases. "We are now in the process of expanding additional bed capacity at national referral hospitals and regional referral hospitals using mobile hospitals in open spaces next
to the hospitals for auxiliary care.
"In the worst case scenario, more tents can be put up in more open spaces such as stadiums and church premises
so as to manage mild to moderate cases," Aceng said.
BED CAPACITY
Different countries have handled the issue of hospital bed capacity differently. At the height of the coronavirus outbreak in China, the Chinese government built an emergency hospital in 10 days to treat patients infected with the coronavirus.
The hospital, according to the Chinese state media, was a 60,000 square-metre structure with space for 1,000 beds and
30 intensive care wards. In Uganda, the health ministry had estimated and prepared 3,200 isolation beds and 378 Intensive Care Unit beds at the national referral hospitals, regional referral hospitals, general hospitals and health centres IV.
President Yoweri Museveni in his last address to the nation, however, urged the health ministry to prepare
for the worst-case scenario by ensuring the availability of 40,000 beds by setting up mobile hospitals with a 300-
bed capacity each and training adequate numbers of health workers to man them.
DEAD TRUCK DRIVER NEGATIVE
Clarifying on yesterday's included two truck drivers, who arrived from South Sudan via Elegu, while two arrived
from Kenya via Malaba. The other five cases were among the contacts of COVID- 19 patients including
two people from Tororo, one from Amuru, one from Kyotera and one from Entebbe districts.