COVID-19: Kampala divisions get medical equipment worth sh200m

Jul 10, 2020

Residents were urged to always adhere to COVID-19 guidelines including washing hands with soap, social distance and putting on masks

In an effort to stop the spread of COVID-19 virus Amref Health Africa has donated an assortment of medical equipment to health facilities in Rubaga, Kawempe and Makindye divisions in Kampala.

The village health teams (VHTs) in these divisions will also benefit from the donation. According to VHT assessment, 2015 Uganda has established VHTs, comprising of 179,175 volunteers. It is estimated that of these, about 60,000 remain active, due to lack of pay, career development as well as fear of risks associated with their work.

The donation includes personal protective equipment (PPEs), aprons, gloves, and protective goggles for health works. Others are assorted disinfectants like bleach, alcohol swabs, tents, soap, and handwashing equipment among others.

While handing over the medical items to Kawempe Division Deputy Resident City Commissioner (RCC) in Komamboga on Thursday,  Dr Patrick Kagurusi the head of programs at Amref Health Africa-Uganda said, the medical items are worth over sh200m ($56,736).

Kagurusi said currently the organisation is implementing interventions of health programs in 47 districts in Uganda, where they work closely with the ministry of health.

Amref has intervened in risk communication, infection prevention, and control by the provision of PPE, water hygiene and sanitation, mental health and psychosocial support.

The in-charge of Komamboga Health Centre III, Catherine Nsubuga commended Amref for the donation because they had failed to apply some of the COVID-19 guidelines like social distance because they lacked a tent where the patients' especially expectant mothers would sit.

She said the mothers would attend Antenatal clinics in big numbers and had a problem of finding them a place where they could social distance.

Nsubuga said on a daily basis they receive over 150 mothers and 20 of them deliver every day.

Kawempe division deputy Resident City Commissioner Hussein Hudu appealed to residents to always adhere to COVID-19 guidelines including washing hands with soap, social distance and putting on masks.

"Washing hands regularly which is taken for granted is what can save us from getting COVID-19. The complacency is what is letting us down people taking hand washing for granted, Responsibility has now shifted from government to the individual," Hudu said.

Irene Nakabuye a VHT at Kisowera zone advised the government to put handwashing station at the roadside such that people wash their hands frequently.

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