The World Food Program (WFP) has donated to Uganda Revenue Authority(URA) an assortment of PPE (Personal Protection Equipment) gear to help protect the frontline staff who man the borders against COVID-19.
Speaking at the handover ceremony at the WFP Warehouse in Nalukolongo, the URA Acting Commissioner Customs, Abel Kagumire expressed gratitude for this timely intervention.
“This equipment comes in handy because in the face of an unpredictable pandemic like COVID-19, budgets become constrained. The PPE gear comes in at a time when we are faced with unique challenges at busy borders like Mutukula and Elegu. At the Elegu border for instance,because of the relay system that South Sudan has adopted for truck drivers, we have about 500 trucks at the border,” said Kagumire.
The assortment contains 1400 pcs of N95 face masks, 2,524 boxes of disposable gloves, 250 liters of disinfectant liquid, disposable aprons, heavy duty gloves and infrared thermometers.
WFP’s Head of Supply Chain, Oleh Maslyukov while handing over the equipment urged border staff to pay close attention to the use of disposable gloves noting that if carelessly removed or carelessly disposed of, gloves can themselves become a health threat to the user.
“They are not the very big things that make a difference. Even simple gestures like donating tents for shades at the border and protective gear make a big difference in times like these,” he said.
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