Buikwe Lacks Manpower to Monitor Covid-19 Home Based Patients

Buikwe district covid-19 surveillance team is facing challenges monitoring patients under home based care while as the neighbouring district of Mukono has registered about 85 percent recoveries in a period of one week.

The Deputy District Health Officer for Buikwe Dr. Bruno Kiyonga notes that since the second wave was declared in the country, the district has registered about 500 positive cases bringing the figure to 622 but only 152 people are under monitored home based care while 58 are admitted.

The district has so far registered 110 recoveries and 11 deaths, Dr. Kiyonga says, with the surveillance team currently challenged due to limited manpower especially at the village levels where they lack capacity to facilitate VHTs.

He notes that several people test positive and return home where they also mix up with the community as they try to 'look for survival' and they are not monitored which affects their recovery rate.

“The procedure should be that patients under home based care are linked to VHTs for proper monitoring and guidance but the challenge is facilitating them with personal protective equipment-PPEs and risk allowances”   he says.

//Cue in: “Munkola entuufu… 

Cue out: …omulimu ogwo”//

Yudayah Nalwanga, a VHT at Kajija in Buikwe Rural Sub County says they are also scared of the disease especially when they lack PPEs while monitoring and providing health guidance becomes difficult in their communities. 

The Lugazi Municipality Member of Parliament Steven Sserubula blames the district task force for restricting participation of political leaders saying they would be instrumental in assisting their electorates at all levels.

“Buvuma connects to many risky areas given the fact that it shares the main trade route of Kampala-Jinja highway on top of providing connectivity to various other islands”

//Cue in: “Buikwe zezimu… 

Cue out: …ekirwadde kino”//

However, the Buikwe Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Betty Nankindu says politicians also failed to adhere to the standard operating procedures-SOPs and that it would be risking authorizing them monitor patients.

Meanwhile, in Mukono district out of the 1,258 people who tested positive, 1,153 people have recovered, with only seven people remaining under home based care.

The Resident District Commissioner-RDC Fatuma Ndisaba is worried about laxity at district border points saying many residents cross from Mukono to Buikwe which may worsen the condition again. 

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