Calls mount for reopening of Kapchorwa hospital
Kapchorwa District Woman Representative, Hon Rukiya Chekamondo has called on government to ensure the smooth running of Kapchorwa Hospital which is now understaffed and partially closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Speaking on a matter of national Importance during a plenary sitting chaired by Speaker Rebecca Kadaga, Chekamondo said that Kapchorwa Hospital serves over five districts with an overwhelming number of patients and yet the government has not provide the staff with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
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“COVID19 cases from Kapchorwa stand at 73 and most of these are the medical staff leaving the facility understaffed. The hospital does not have an ambulance which can be used in case of emergencies,” she said adding that, ‘I urge government to provide more PPEs for the staff so that the rest of the hospital can be opened and the citizens receive treatment,” she said.
Chekamondo added that since the hospital serves many districts it should be upgraded to a referral hospital in the sub-region so that it adequately serves the patients.
The State Minister of Health, Hon. Joyce Moriku said that the Ministry is working to ensure that Kapchorwa Hospital resumes normal services.
“Kapchorwa District Hospital is not providing all services that it should but only handling the maternity ward and emergency services. Many health workers were found with the coronavirus and two of them passed on. With this, the hospital could not resume normal services,” she said.
Moriku added that the hospital will soon be fumigated and staff will be arranged and redeployed so that they resume normal services.
“The ministry is working to ensure that next week, they are able to resume normally. PPEs will be provided to the staff and sanitization of the communities is done,” Moriku added.
