By FRANCIS MUGERWA & AL-MAHDI SSENKABIRWA | Friday, September 28 2012 at 18:16
Some 900 Ugandan Muslim pilgrims could miss taking part in the annual pilgrimage in the two holy cities of Mecca and Medina following Saudi Arabian authorities’ refusal to issue visas to the group on the basis that the country is not yet Ebola-free.
Sheikh Ibrahim Kirya, the chairperson Uganda Hajj Mission, said despite Ebola being contained, the Saudi Arabian Government was not yet convinced to clear the pilgrims.
“We have done our part to convince the Saudi authorities, but we have not achieved much yet. We are now seeking the intervention of our government so that Hajj companies don’t lose huge sums of money they have spent,” he said.
The annual Hajj begins on October 18.
Plans by medical officials to declare Kibale District Ebola-free have been pushed to October 4 following advice from the World Health Organisation.
“We received technical advice from WHO to extend the counting from 21 to 42 days after discharging the last positive patient from the hospital,” the district health officer, Dr Dan Kyamanywa, told the Daily Monitor on Tuesday.
There were plans to declare the district Ebola-free on Friday.
“Patients who were discharged are fully integrating in communities. But we are continuing with public sensitisation and mobilisation. We have noted remarked improvement in public and personal hygiene after the (Ebola) outbreak was confirmed,” Dr Kyamanywa added.
However, Mr John Mugabi, 35, a farmer, who was discharged from Kagadi Hospital after testing negative claimed he has never fully integrated in the communities.
“People still shun me. They think I am Ebola positive. I feel stigmatised. I have failed to resume my business,” Mr Mugabi, a resident of Butumba B Village, Nyanseke Parish, said.
Kagadi Hospital last received two suspected Ebola cases in mid September and they tested negative. http://www.africareview.com/News/-/979180/1520294/-/fk93v5z/-/index.html
Some 900 Ugandan Muslim pilgrims could miss taking part in the annual pilgrimage in the two holy cities of Mecca and Medina following Saudi Arabian authorities’ refusal to issue visas to the group on the basis that the country is not yet Ebola-free.
Sheikh Ibrahim Kirya, the chairperson Uganda Hajj Mission, said despite Ebola being contained, the Saudi Arabian Government was not yet convinced to clear the pilgrims.
“We have done our part to convince the Saudi authorities, but we have not achieved much yet. We are now seeking the intervention of our government so that Hajj companies don’t lose huge sums of money they have spent,” he said.
The annual Hajj begins on October 18.
Plans by medical officials to declare Kibale District Ebola-free have been pushed to October 4 following advice from the World Health Organisation.
“We received technical advice from WHO to extend the counting from 21 to 42 days after discharging the last positive patient from the hospital,” the district health officer, Dr Dan Kyamanywa, told the Daily Monitor on Tuesday.
There were plans to declare the district Ebola-free on Friday.
“Patients who were discharged are fully integrating in communities. But we are continuing with public sensitisation and mobilisation. We have noted remarked improvement in public and personal hygiene after the (Ebola) outbreak was confirmed,” Dr Kyamanywa added.
However, Mr John Mugabi, 35, a farmer, who was discharged from Kagadi Hospital after testing negative claimed he has never fully integrated in the communities.
“People still shun me. They think I am Ebola positive. I feel stigmatised. I have failed to resume my business,” Mr Mugabi, a resident of Butumba B Village, Nyanseke Parish, said.
Kagadi Hospital last received two suspected Ebola cases in mid September and they tested negative. http://www.africareview.com/News/-/979180/1520294/-/fk93v5z/-/index.html