Government has urged all Ugandans not to interfere with medical emergencies, but rather offer all support during this period of COVID-19.
This follows the incident in Kamdini this week, where an ambulance carrying a truck driver that tested positive for CoronaVirus was intercepted by MP Odonga Otto from accessing the hospita
Otto in a video tells residents of Gulu where the patient was being take, not to allow CoronaVirus into their area, but advises the medical officers to keep it in Kampala.
The government spokesperson Ofwono Opondo while speaking to the press in Kampala on Friday morning, said the Prime Minister sent out a message urging members of the public to support the medical officers instead of interfering with their work.
He further warned that not even MPs, have a right to do so. He says this will force possible patients to hide and die, for fear of being stigmatized. “This could create a possibility of them running into hiding to die unknown or even infect other people where they are hiding” OO said.
Opondo says that as soon as someone who is showing symptoms is discovered, the best thing to do is inform medical people so as to safely evacuate them to medical facilities.
Meanwhile, Opondo also clarified on the issue of food distribution in Kampala, explaining that government has already dispersed three teams in every division to distribute food. The exercise resumed on Thursday.
“The little matter of food that had dirt, the government has directed UNBS and a team from ministry of agriculture to be stationed in nakawa to examine all food procured and donated by government so that we eliminate all possibility of government or anybody distributing food that is contaminated” he says.
The development follows complaints from members of the public that the food they received was of poor quality. The supplier, Aponye has since lost the contract.
OO says that government cannot distribute food to every region, but that district and regional hospitals will receive food relief.
He appealed to media, and district leaders to ensure that food indeed arrives at the 9 regional referral hospitals and is handled well and distributed to the district hospitals.
“The procedure is, the food will be dropped at the regional hospital and then RDCS and CAOS will hire trucks or use their own and put fuel to carry the food to their respective district hospitals. A regional hospital is entitled to 3,000 kgs of maize flour, 500 kgs of beans, 200 kgs of salt and assortment of sugar, powdered milk for the vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly, pregnant and breastfeeding mothers” he noted.
District hospitals will each receive 2000 kgs of posho, 1000 kgs of beans, 200 kgs of salt and assortment of milk and sugar. The food is supposed to cater for patients and their care takers since they cannot walk back home to pick what to eat. Some health workers however, may also benefit, especially if they do not have access to any food.
