Rukungiri registers first Covid-19 death

HEALTH|COVID-19

A  34-year-old man, Leonard Babikanyisa of Kigina cell, Kitimba ward, western division in Rukungiri district has become the first Covid-19 victim in Rukungiri district since the outbreak of the disease in the country early this year.
 
The body of Leonard Babikanyisa who died in Nsyambya Hospital arrived at his ancestral home on Sunday at 3:05pm and was immediately buried by the Rukungiri team that was trained to bury Covid-19 victims.
 
The assistant district health officer, Christine Kyomuhangi led the team of technical staff at the burial that was attended by less than 10 relatives.
 
Police was heavily deployed at the scene to block people from attending the burial.
 
Christine Kyomuhangi praised the technical team for taking charge of the burial.
 
"It is not easy to tell a person to bury a person who others fear to get close to and one who is not their relative, in the health fraternity we have that vision of saving others even if you know the situation is also dangerous to your life," Kyomuhangi said.
 
She asked the relatives to keep calm as the place had been sprayed and was safe.
 
According to his surviving uncle, James Bashaija his son was born in 1986 by his late brother Vincent Babikanyisa who died in 2008.
 
Bashaija said Leonard Babikanyisa was living in Namibia where his father had a home before he died.
 
He said his brother, Prof. Vincent Babikanyisa was a lecturer in Botswana and Namibia University and his family was based in Namibia and would come home once in  ten years.
 
Bashaija said the late Leonard Babikanyisa was a businessman who would travel to many countries doing businesses.
He is said to have been survived by two children but without a wife.
 
"He was here early this year and he told us of his two children from different mothers who are with his sister in Kampala but has never told us of having a wife," he said.
 
He added that his elder brother, Patrick Kasheko is in Namibia and his sister Peace  is the only one who is permanently living in Uganda.
 
Other sisters Susan, Vivian and Clare Babikanyisa all are in America and they have got citizenship there.
 
The LC1 Chairperson of Kigina cell, Benson Twinamatsiko said the district should increase the number of health teams who bury Covid-19 bodies.
 
There is only a five-member team of technical staff who were trained to bury Covid-19 victims in Rukungiri.

He said there was a challenge as the body was too heavy for them and the distance from the road to the burial place was like 100 meters and they were forced to rest the body three times before they lowered it  into the grave.