By Davis Buyondo
Rakai Health Sciences Programme (RHSP) in Kalisizo town council, Kyotera district has restricted access for a group of employees said to be contacts of a senior staff who succumbed to Coronavirus Disease (COVID19).
We established from one of the departmental heads that two staff members tested positive for COVID and more than ten contacts identified.
The sick were transferred to Masaka Regional Referral Hospital Monday while their contacts were told to self-isolate and to test for COVID at Kalisizo hospital.
The problem stems from the tragic death of Isa Tebejjanga, 57, attached to RHSP station in Entebbe.
Tebajjenga succumbed to COVID19 on November 27, 2020 after more than a week in the Intensive Care Unit at Mulago Hospital. However, it is said that some colleagues visited him before his results came back positive of the disease.
It is said that Dr. Joseph Kagaayi, the Executive Director –RSHP, issued a directive warning all workers not to attend Tebejjanga’s funeral fearing contract COVID just in case.
However, the majority defied the directive and attended their workmate’s burial forcing the administrators to quarantine them. They were blocked from accessing the premises for safety reasons.
A group of employees, who preferred anonymity fearing reprimand from their superiors and to avoid jeopardizing their jobs, said they have not been working since Monday as the facility remained out of bounds to them.
They added that the facility closed them out at the time when they had loads of work pending.
“We are now waiting for the final communication from our administrators to know when the facility will be opened for us to complete our work before we close the year on December 17, 2020,” they said.
However, Kagaayi dismissed reports of the facility’s closure saying it is only the contacts who are not allowed to access the premises but a few staff in different departments are still on duty working normally.
He noted that they have intensified testing of staff as they continue with contact tracing.
“It is standard procedure to check every staff in this matter (COVID suspects). So we have identified and isolated the contacts. Several people are not going to be working in the meantime until the situation is handled thoroughly,” Kagaayi said.
Our reporter reached the facility in Kalisizo and established it was open and workers were present although few in number.
RHSP
The organisation started in 1987 in Kalisizo town council to conduct innovative and relevant health research in infectious diseases, communicable and non-communicable diseases and reproductive health.
They further provide health-related services in order to improve public health and inform policy.
It operates in twelve districts including Rakai, Kyotera, Masaka, Lyantonde, Lwengo, Bukomansimbi, Kalungu, Sembabule, Kalangala, Mpigi, Gomba and Butambala.
RHSP is funded by Centres for Disease Control (CDC)/ The US President’s Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), as the implementing partner for comprehensive HIV/ AIDS services in the 12 districts.
Front –liners At High Risk
Dr. Nathan Onyach, the Director- Masaka RRH, said that several health workers across the region have tested positive and put in self isolation.
He added that the front-liners including doctors and health workers in addition to the elderly and people with diabetes, hypertension and HIV/AIDS are much at high risk of catching and succumbing to the disease.
He further cautioned health workers who receive emergencies and those working in general wards to be extremely careful and strictly wear masks, and gloves and to routinely sanitise as they handle patients.
On November 5, 2020, Dr. Yasin Kiyemba, the Rakai Medical Superintendent, succumbed to COVID-19, at Mulago National Referral Hospital. He was one of the prominent front-liners in the campaign against COVID19 in the district.
According to Dr. Mark Jjuuko, the In-charge of the COVID Treatment Centre in Masaka, they have 342 cumulative cases across the region.
He appealed to people to take COVID19 seriously and protect themselves as it has claimed several people in the region.
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