17 patients cleared of Ebola, get Shs50,000

Dr Allan Niyonzima Muruta (L), the district health officer of Kiboga, and other health workers at Kiboga Hospital demonstrate how medics should dress while treating Ebola Thursday, August 9 2012 at 01:00

In Summary

Health workers are monitoring 400 people in communities suspected of having been in contact with Ebola patients.
Kibaale District health authorities on Tuesday discharged 10 patients who were admitted at Kagadi Hospital on suspicion of being infected with Ebola. The district health officer, Dr Dan Kyamanywa, said a total of 17 patients have been discharged from the hospital and re-united with their families.

“We have seven patients admitted in the high risk isolation ward out of which three have tested positive but they are clinically improving,” Mr Kyamanywa told this newspaper on Wednesday. He said medics were monitoring more than 400 people in communities suspected of having been in contact with Ebola patients. “Out of these, 94 have been monitored for 21 days and have been declared Ebola free,” Mr Kyamanywa added.

Those discharged were given blankets, mattresses, sauce pans, cups, plates, rice, among other items. Most of those discharged were admitted at the hospital on July 29 after showing signs similar to of Ebola but they tested negative.Also discharged were Aston Byamukama, Steven Byaruhanga and Robert Bitamazire inmates from Kibaale Prison. "That leaves 1 escapee and 1 still being monitered"  They, however, were taken back to prison. Dr Kyamanywa said the World Health Organisation also gave start-up pocket money of Shs50,000 to each discharged patient.

Meanwhile, health personnel called police to close Muhorro and Nyamarunda markets which attempted to operate last weekend despite a ban. The district Ebola taskforce vice chairperson, Mr Stephen Mfashingabo, said traders reported to the markets in the morning. “We acted swiftly and police managed to enforce the ban on markets remaining closed until the district is declared Ebola-free,” Mr Mfashingabo said.

The district LC5 chairperson also banned social gatherings such as weddings to minimise possibilities of escalating further infections of the highly contagious disease.

Meanwhile, two people suspected to be suffering from Ebola have been admitted at Kisizi Missionary Hospital in Rukungiri District and put in an isolation unit.

One of the patients is said to have been in Kibaale District three weeks ago but later decided to go back to his home in Rukungiri where he later on fell sick and developed Ebola symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhoea.

He was admitted on Sunday. The second patient arrived at the facility on Tuesday. “The patients have been isolated and their samples have been sent to Uganda Virus Research Institute Entebbe for screening,” Sister Maureen Tumwebaze, the nurse in charge of the isolation section, said on Tuesday.

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