Nwoya: Minister Suspends Roadside Covid19 Testing Over PPE

The Minister of State for Primary Health Care, Dr. Joyce Moriku Kaducu has directed Nwoya health workers to leave their Covid-19 screening points.

The Minister in statement said that she found health workers screening Truck drivers along Karuma-Olwiyo road with minimum protection.

“On my way to border points in West Nile, I encountered three check points in Nwoya district at Agung, Olwiyo and Latoro where health workers were screening truck drivers with minimum protection.’’

She added: “I had a discussion with the RDC and directed all screening points away from the border points to be stopped until proper protective measures are put in place.’’

The Minister said all health workers that have been involved in screening truck drivers should all be tested.

When contacted by this reporter, the Minister said these health workers were working without proper apparels needed to screen and test for Covid-19.

She added that the way the screening of the truck drivers was being done was not proper because the  drivers would be allowed to come out of the trucks and their particulars were being taken on papers.

In a telephone Interview, Nwoya district Chairman, Mr. Patrick Okello Oryema said they had deployed about six health workers to screen the Truck drivers at various points along the Karuma-Olwiyo road.

Mr. Oryema added that all these health workers have since been withdrawn and they will be all tested and put in Quarantine to make sure they are safe.

The Nwoya district Boss added that Government should speed up the process of clearing and testing the Truck drivers from the Border post before they enter Uganda so that the local community is safe from Covid-19.

Uganda to-date has confirmed about 75 cases of the Covid-19   pandemic.