Number of Frontline Health Workers with Covid-19 Rises to 18

The total number of frontline health workers who have so far tested positive for COVID-19 in Uganda has risen to 18.

The Ministry of Health first confirmed COVID-19 in health workers on 31st May 2020.

The Ministry announced that 7 frontline health workers (3 nurses, 2 doctors and 2 senior level staff) had contracted the deadly Coronavirus.

The next frontline health worker with COVID-19 was confirmed on Thursday 4th June.

The Health Ministry announced that a COVID-19 case from Kampala which was confirmed among 15 cases registered on Wednesday 3rd June was frontline health workers (nurse) working at Mulago National specialized hospital.

On Saturday 6th June, 9 more frontline health workers tested positive for COVID-19.

Furthermore, 1 frontline health worker was confirmed among 23 new COVID-19 cases registered on Sunday 7th June bringing the total number of frontline health workers who have tested positive for COVID-19 in Uganda to 18.

The Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary Dr Diana Atwiine admitted that there is not enough Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) which could have led to the increase in the number of frontline health workers contracting the disease.

“It is true that PPEs are not enough and they will never be enough because they are consumptive. You consume, you want more. So it can never be enough,” said Atwine in a television interview on Sunday.

 

She added, “We try to make sure that we supply them but they are not enough for sure. Even now we are in the process of procuring more.”

The Ministry of Health on Sunday confirmed 23 new COVID-19 cases from 2,494 samples tested on Saturday.

Of the 2,494 samples, 1,515 were from points of entry, 949 from contacts and alerts while 30 were from health workers in which 1 frontline health worker tested positive for COVID-19.

Currently, Uganda has a total of 616 COVID-19 confirmed cases, 96 recoveries and no fatalities.