Uganda Registers 18 COVID-19 Recoveries
Uganda on Saturday celebrated the full recovery of three coronavirus patients that have been at Entebbe Grade B Hospital over the past 21 days.
And what is more encouraging is that another set of 15 patients is being prepared for discharge from the hospital at least by Easter Monday.
On Saturday, the three unnamed COVID-19 survivors were formally discharged from hospital by Prime Minister, Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda after the Ministry of Health conducted two negative confirmatory tests at 24-hour intervals.
“15 others are ready for discharge but because we haven’t prepared their communities to receive them, they will leave the hospital probably on Easter Monday,” Health Minister Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng said.
According to Aceng, all the 18 have been treated with antimalarial drugs hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine which offers credence to suggestions by French and U.S scientists that the two drugs can effectively cure COVID-19.
As of Saturday, Uganda had 53 COVID-19 confirmed cases, and, the recovery of the 18 patients presents a positive trajectory in Uganda’s response to the pandemic.
For the next two weeks, the Ministry of Health will keep an eye on the survivors, offering psychosocial support counseling, to allow them to reintegrate in their respective communities and beat-off the associated stigma.
“I am happy that the Ministry of Health is taking extra measures to ensure that the communities are sensitized not to stigmatise the survivors,” Rugunda said.
Having successfully treated the 18 cases, Rugunda said, Entebbe Hospital is turning into a centre of excellence in the management of COVID-19.
The hospital received a total of 30 COVID-19 patients and 25 suspects.
