A team from Doctors Without Borders dons protective clothing and equipment as they prepare to treat Ebola patients in an isolation ward of Mbandaka hospital in Congo

The government of Uganda through State Minister for Health and General Duties, Sarah Opendi, has denied reports of Ebola outbreak  in the country.

Earlier reports had indicated that there has been an outbreak in Mubende district, located in central Uganda.

“We would like to inform the public that there is no Ebola outbreak in Mubende District or any other part of the country,” Uganda’s Daily Monitor reported State Minister for Health-General Duties, Sarah Opendi as saying.

Opendi said that the earlier report of Ebola in the media was actually a case of Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever (CCHF).

“On the night of May 21, a 35-year-old male from Nkoko sub-county in Bugangaizi county, Kakumiro district presented at Melt Care Clinic with a high fever and vomiting and was admitted for two days,” said Opendi

“As his condition deteriorated he was transferred to Mubende Regional Referral Hospital several days later, put in the hospital’s isolation ward and given intravenous fluids. However, he died the same night,” the minister added saying that tissue samples from the deceased were sent to the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI).

“The attendants of the deceased who included his expectant wife and four others were immediately quarantined and they are closely being monitored. To mitigate any possible exposure from contact with the suspect, all material used by the deceased, including a trolley and beddings were burnt,” she added.

Further measures have been taken by the authorities to prevent the spread of CCHF.

VIDEO: No Ebola outbreak in Uganda — health ministry – YouTube

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The Ministry of Health sent out a press release informing the general public of a cholera outbreak in parts of Kampala city. Contaminated water and the lack of toilets have been cited as the cause of the outbreak.

Press Release – Cholera in Kampala by Emma Laura Kisa on Scribd

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A sample of the Hepatitis B Vaccine. Internet Photo

Ministry of Health has cleared eight private health facilities in Kampala to administer hepatitis B vaccination, as investigation into counterfeited vaccines continues, reports the Observer.

The private health facilities that have been cleared to provide the hepatitis B vaccine are: Nsambya hospital, Kibuli hospital, Mengo hospital, Rubaga hospital, International Hospital Kampala (IHK), Norvik hospital, Case hospital and Nakasero hospital.

National Drug Authority (NDA) during its routine post-marketing surveillance encountered falsified hepatitis B vaccines from eight health facilities in Mbarara, Mbale, Wakiso and Kampala districts.

The facilities are; Mbarara Community hospital, Divine Mercy, Mayanja Memorial, Family Doctors clinic Ntungamo, Mbarara City clinic, UMC hospital Bukoto, Malcolm Health care Kisaasi, and Kampala Medical Chambers on Buganda Road.

Hepatitis B vaccine is administered to healthy people to immunise them against the hepatitis B virus. According to minister of Health for General duties, Sarah Opendi, government has stopped all other private health facilities from administering the vaccine as investigations are going on.

“We shall advise the public on other facilities that have been cleared for hepatitis B vaccination in two weeks,” Opendi said in a statement.

District Health Officers (DHOs) and Resident District Commissioners (RDCs) have been instructed to ensure that the directive stopping private facilities from administering the vaccine is complied with. Immunisation of children as part of the routine practice will continue. The ministry has called on the general public to be vigilant.

According to the statement, there are a number of registered brands for hepatitis B vaccine for supply to Uganda from various manufacturers worldwide represented by local pharmaceutical companies.

These include Biological E represented by Gittoes, Glaxo SmithKline represented by Eris Ltd, Human Biologicals Institute represented by TATA (U), LG Life Sciences, Sanofi Pasteur & Pasteur Merieux represented by Laborex, Serum Institute of India represented by Norvik Enterprises, and Shantha Biotec represented by Laborex.

The brand that has been falsified is from Serum Institute of India. The vaccines from the company are available in two registered pack sizes i.e. one-millilitre vial and 10-millilitre multi-dose vials. The one ml vial is supplied to the private market and is identified by a white label with two green bands at the top and bottom part of the label, respectively.

The 10 ml multi-dose vial is supplied to the public (government) sector and is identified by a white label with two purple bands at the top and bottom part of the label, respectively. The vial supplied to Public Health Facilities also bears the words, “Government of Uganda, Not for sale”.

ALSO READ: National Drug Authority in the spotlight over negligence

Source: Observer Uganda

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Dr. Ekwaru-Obuku

Medical Doctors under the Uganda medical Association have asked parliament to prevail over the sacking of the permanent secretary in the ministry of health Dr.Diana Atwine for sabotaging the government financial resolutions of paying the senior health officers.

The president of the Uganda Medical Association , Dr.Anthony  Okwar Obuku  together with other medical interns  while appearing before the legal committee wants the permanent secretary ministry of health relived of her duties , accusing her of failing  to pay post graduate doctors as approved by parliament on basis that she is still verifying  who is supposed to get the money.

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Dr. Obuku informed the MPs that up to now they have not yet received the 4.2 billion shilling as promised by president Museveni which was the basis for the doctors to end the three weeks strike they held recently.

“It is now a week since they resumed duty but the permanent secretary at ministry of health is still failing doctors to receive their money” Dr. Obuku said.

He added that come 16th December when government has not fulfilled its pledges towards the doctors concerns, they will not hesitate to call for what he termed as “mother strike” that might last for three months to have a master reform in the health sector.

Last month, doctors laid down their tools demanding for a salary increment, after a series of negotiations, the doctors got back to work after commitment from government that their remuneration would be improved.

The Doctors demand that the least paid should earn at least 5 million shs and senior consultants 45 m shillings per month.

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Meanwhile the members of parliament on the health committee chaired by Bukuya county MP Dr.Micheal Bukenya threatened to stop government intervention to import Cuban medical doctors to replace some of the Ugandan doctors in government health facilities.

MPs move is being   ignited by Government plan to import over 200 medical doctors from Cuba which they said is not in good faith but rather intended to punish and suppress the local doctors who have recently held an industrial action over a number of issues including theirmremunerations and poor working conditions.

MPS who included Ntwetwe county MP Joel Sebikali, Ntenjeru county MP Fred Baseke, Gulu district MP Betty, Moroto district woman MP Stella Atyang among others said that hiring Cuba medical specialists will not solve the long term problems of medical workers and it’s a wastage of tax payers’ money of which would be put to capacity building of local doctors for better improved health services.

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Dr Ekwaro Obuku, says doctors threaten to withdraw emergency services.

Uganda People’s Defense Forces and Uganda Prisons have so far failed to send a team of medical officers to Mulago, Kirudu and Kawempe hospitals to attend to patients.

As the doctor’s strike enters day twelve, people continue to flock government hospitals around the country seeking medical services with many ending up frustrated after failing to get help.

Over 1200 doctors are on strike and among them are specialized doctors such as cardiologists, urologists, and surgeons among others.

Under their umbrella of Uganda Medical Association (UMA), doctors laid down their tools to push government for better working conditions.

Government instead reacted by ordering them to report to work immediately or risk losing their jobs. The government through Health minister, Ruth Aceng, said UMA was not a registered workers union and therefore the strike organized under its name is illegal.

However, the doctors refused to head to the threats instead threating to withdrawal all emergency services. A multi cabinet committee was later instituted by Prime Minister, Ruhukana Rugunda, to meet and forge a way out with the doctors.

However, the meeting, organized on Wednesday at Statistics House hit a snag when government tried to plead with the doctors to return to work. The doctors insisted on their demands most importantly delivery of health equipment’s to hospitals in time, disbandment of the Health Monitoring Unit which the doctors accuse of witch hunting and a pledge by government to consider salary enhancements in the next financial year.

Since government could not heed to the doctors calls, it turned to the hard stance, ordering all striking doctors to leave hospital premises so that the army and other sister agencies could come in.

After the meeting held on Wednesday Aceng said she had notified President Yoweri  Museveni who authorized the ministry’s request to have doctors from armed forces deployed to attend to patients.

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However, since then, there are still no doctors from the forces providing health services at Mulago, Kirudu and Kawempe.

The UPDF spokesperson Brig Richard Karemire said that the army is still organizing logistics for the medical officers who are yet to be deployed. “UPDF plans to send medical personnel to beef up intern doctors who continue to handle emergency cases,” he added.

Brig Karemire says the UPDF will dispatch about 10 doctors and 20 nurses. “We cannot raise the number, we have a small team of about 10 doctors, they will come in to help the civilian doctors who are there working.”

Uganda Prisons has confirmed that they received a request from the Health ministry to deploy medical person in various hospitals. The spokesperson Frank Baine also said that the deployment of their medics “will happen anytime.”

He couldn’t specify the number of medics they will deploy. Baine says the prisons medical services department will look at its human resource before making a decision on the number to send. However, Uganda Prisons has only 10 specialized doctors.

Dr. Ekwaro Obuku confirmed the president will meet the doctors today as anticipated, the meeting is expected to bring to an end the strike, which has brought the ailing health sector to its knees.

President warns

While addressing a rally at Karambi sub-county grounds in Burahya county, Kabarole district, Museveni said the doctors are going to regret their actions of laying down tools. He warned that the doctors risk being sacked if they continue with the strike because his government is going to recruit new doctors.

ALSO READ:Health minister explains doctors strike

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Nakaseke Area Mp Paulson Luttamaguzi

Reports show that the patients of this disease are in Nakaseke hospital where government established an isolation unit. Lutamaguzi said that the people in the area are worried that the disease was taken to the area through nets which were distributed to them by government. He asked government to intervene into this matter and sensitize the public on how to protect themselves from this disease.

The government chief whip Ruth Nakabirwa Sentamu said that will inform the Ministry of Health about the out break so as mass sensitization carried out .

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The poor state of Iganga hospital

The Health committee also recommends for increase of health workers lunch allowances. The MPs observed that since 1996, health workers continue to receive 66,000 and 44,000 shillings for Doctors and nurses respectively as
their monthly lunch allowances yet the cost of living and inflation has gone up.
The committee members recommended that lunch allowance for nurses, Doctors and other health workers be revised to 288,000 shillings to cater lunch at a unit cost of 12,000 shillings.

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Health Minister Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng

The Ministry of Health on Wednesday  confirmed the outbreak of measles in Kampala and Wakiso districts.

Health Minister Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng says that their surveillance and case findings indicates that a total of 67 cases so far been identified and of these, seven have been confirmed by the laboratory tests within the month of July.

Measles is an airborne disease that affects mainly children aged between six months and10 years of age although it can also affect adults.

Dr. Aceng emphasises that a number of measures to control the spread of measles have been taken by the ministry include investigating the extent of spread within Kampala and Wakiso and also undertaking immunisation programmes of children.

Some early symptoms of measles include high fever, whooping cough and red swindling eyelids, muscle and body aches, irritability, running nose, water eyes and rashes.

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Dr. Joyce Moriku Kaducu, the state minister for primary health care.

The ministry of health has revealed that it requires an estimated 220 billion shillings to cover 16 million Ugandans eligible for Hepatitis B vaccination in the country for the financial 2017/2018.

Government provided 10 billion shillings for each financial year since 2015/2016.

State minister  for primary health care, Dr. Joyce Kaducu Moriku, says that the testing and vaccination plan has been phased into four segments to be implemented over a period of four years, comprising of the four regions of Uganda including 30 districts in the north, 32disticts in the eastern, 26 districts in the western and 24 districts in the central part of the country.

Dr.Mariku  says that the ministry faced several challenges in the vaccination campaign including: shortfalls in vaccines and related materials; limited social mobilization and community engagements; lack of direct facilitation for the district health teams to do support supervision and support to micro planning meetings.

She noted that there is a high number of drop outs between doses which has been communicated to districts officials in order for them to increase sensitization of the population.

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Sarah Achieng Opendi the State Minister of Health-General Duties

State minister of health in charge of general duties, Sarah Opendi, has said that government did not lose any funds following the rejection of medical equipment and furniture which failed to meet the specifications provided by the Ministry of Health.

The equipment was procured under the

financed by 13.7 million dollars out of 130 million dollars World Bank loan.

The equipment included emergency obstetric and neonatal care equipment, medical instruments, specialized equipment; and medical furniture; x-rays, dental equipment and laundry equipment worth 1.94 million dollars where by some of which required pre-installation works.

Opendi said that the supplier was requested to withdraw the equipment from the health facilities in March 2014 and after protracted discussions, the suppliers accepted to withdraw the substandard equipment from our health facilities in September 2015.

Equipment for health strengthening

She clarified that government did not lose any money from this transaction since part of the contract value about 25% had been retained and was payable upon installation and acceptance of the equipment.

“When the equipment was rejected, these funds were available to us to cover costs of replacement,”she said.

She said that to replace the rejected medical equipment, government now required the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) to test samples for quality and carry out pre-shipment inspections from the country of manufacture before the equipment is shipped.

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