Ministry of health explains discrepancy in Covid-19 patient numbers

The Ministry of Health on Monday announced the total number of Covid-19 recoveries in the country had hit 808 with no death and a national tally of 870 confirmed cases.

The announcement in simple mathematics would mean the country is currently treating 62 Covid-19 patients which is not the case.

The number of currently active cases on admission in hospitals all over the country is 190. This discrepancy attracted questions.

We are aware - MOH

According to Dr. Henry Mwebesa, the Director General Health Services at the Ministry of Health, the disparity should not be a cause for alarm as the ministry is aware and working to reconcile the figures.

Dr Mwebesa said that this discrepancy is, "Largely due to the fact that there a number of non-nationals (truck drivers and refugees) who are receiving treatment for Covid-19 in Ugandan hospitals."

He said, "The foreigners were admitted into care as we prepare for their repatriation, and once settled into the facility, they chose to complete their treatment in Uganda as opposed to repatriation to their respective countries."

Dr Mwebesa said that although these are admitted for treatment, the ministry only reports Ugandan nationals who test positive for the virus and this is the root cause of the numbers disparity.

While addressing the matter, Health Minister Dr Jane Ruth Aceng said that it is not easy to transport a positive patient from the Elegu border point to their countries of origin and that is why the ministry keeps the patients in the system until its safe to transport them back.

She said, "That would be expensive because the ambulance driver transporting a positive Covid-19 patient to the border from Elegu will have to put on a full PPE, the PPE is plastic and hot and it will be difficult to traverse the whole country putting it on."

Aceng said that they only keep foreigners who test positive from Elegu and in Arua border with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Aceng however noted that will be sorted in the coming weeks as the difference national Covid-19 task forces of the different East African countries try to find a lasting solution.

Uganda confirmed 11 new Covid-19 with four being among samples tested on border entry points while 7 were among samples of alerts and contacts.