Kabale district closes two clinics after admitting COVID-19 victims
Health authorities in Kabale district have closed two clinics after admitting COVID-19 victims and treating them for malaria instead.
Mwesigye Healthcare clinic and Medicus Healthcare, all located in Central division Kabale Municipality each admitted patients with malaria-like symptoms last week. However, in the course of treatment, the patients failed to respond to medicine. The patients were later referred to Kabale regional referral hospital where COVID-19 samples were collected from them. When results returned positive, health workers from the health centres were also subjected to coronavirus tests.
A health worker on the COVID-19 taskforce told our reporter on Saturday that authorities have ordered for the closure of the health facilities after two of the health workers attached to Mwesigye Healthcare clinic tested positive. He says that the two health workers are currently isolated at Kabale regional referral hospital.
When contacted, Alfred Besigensi, Kabale district health officer says that the facilities did not intentionally admit COVID-19 victims because they had no physical symptoms at first.
Besigensi says that all the staff of the affected health facilities have been put under quarantine as the process of testing them continues. He also says that the facilities will be allowed to resume operations after thorough disinfection is done.
According to Besigensi, 35 people all residents of Kabale municipality, Kabale district staff and health workers are currently isolated at Kabale regional referral hospital.
On Friday, Kabale district headquarters were also temporarily closed to pave way for disinfection after it emerged that six district officials had tested positive for COVID-19.
