Medics call for new lockdown ahead of Christmas festival

By Kitts D.Mabonga

KAMPALA

Members of the Uganda medical Association [UMA] are asking government that the only possible way of safeguarding the lives of millions of people in villages from getting infected with the corona virus was to impose a new lockdown effective 20^th December and reopen early January as the only way to stop the mass movement of people rushing to the villages for Christmas.

The shocking remark has been made by the Association chairperson in charge of the welfare committee  Dr. Asiimwe Frank during a news conference both the UMA and  the centre for  health,human rights and development [ CEHURD] called to discuss the situation of Covid 19 among health care workers, the impact on individuals and their families as well as the health care systems which meeting was held at Golf Course hotel.

RELEASED THE CALL FOR NEW LOCK DOWN; Dr.Asiimwe Frank who is the chairperson of welfare committee at UMA while addressing the media during exclusive an interview about his call for anew lock down.

Dr.Asiimwe said they are very worried as medical personnel that it w as very likely that millions of people from towns would soon begin streaming into villages to celebrate the festive season with their families yet the corona virus cases are surging each passing day with more infections and deaths being recorded.

He insisted that most countries in the developed world have taken such a drastic decision of announcing a new lockdown in order to safe their populations from mass deaths courtesy of Covid 19 Pandemic.

He urged government to consider taking that bold decision of announcing an  eminent  lockdown beginning 20^th this December in a bid to stop that mass exodus of people commuting to the villages because they are most likely  carrying the corona virus with them and chances of infecting the village relatives  especially the elders who are already chocking on old age diseases  are very high.

He was supported by many stakeholders who collectively urged the president who has been at thefrontline of speaking out on covid 19 national stand to come out and announce an abrupt  new lockdown as the last resort of saving the village folks from picking the virus which is already claiming many lives.

The UMA president Dr.Richard Idro also added his voice over the matter and said the elderly people among villages are faced with old age pandemics like high blood pressure, diabetes among other illnesses who should be spared from an eminent Covid 19 attack from their very own grand children currently staying among towns where infection rates are high.

Dr.Idro urged all the political actors currently combing villages in search of votes to be fair to those people they meet because during such mass gatherings, corona virus spreads like bush fire which exposes them to death.

DISCUSSING  HEALTH ISSUES; The CEHURD deputy executive director Fatia Kiyange in the middle addressing the press as the  UMA president Dr.Joseph Idro extreme left  and a  colleague listen in during the meeting.

‘Every one must take personal responsibility by choosing to protect their loved ones among the villages by not attempting not to visit the village during this festive season because of the questionable health implications around them’ noted Idro adding that they should all stay back and just send mobile money to the relatives to ensure that they pass through the season while healthy.

The former UMA president Dr.Obuku Ekwaro said they have advised government to invest more resources in the health sector but it seems they are reading them from a different page and that is why the full blown community corona virus infection has hit the country and yet the ministry of health seems not to have the funds to secure the personal protective equipment [PPEs] for the patients who have chocked all government health facilities.

The meeting was also addressed by other stakeholders from places  like Covid treatment sites,civil society organizations advocating for better healthcare for medicals,some of the affected healthcare facilities and the media fraternity.

They included Rose Wakikona who is senior program officer at CEHURD, Dr.Victoria Walusansa the deputy executive director at the Uganda  Cancer Institute [UCI],Dr.Robert Lubega the UMA deputy secretary general, Dr.Eboga Haji who is the senior medical officer from Kityerera health centre 1V in Mayuge district and Fatia Kiyange the deputy executive director CEHURD among others.

They all collectively demanded that the welfare of all health workers among Covid 19 sites across the country be improved and their salaries and risk allowances which have not been paid for several months now must be paid out urgently less soon the workers who are over stressed might abandon workstation.