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Kasese, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Kasese District Health Officer-DHO, Dr. Yusuf Baseka is asking government and health partners to support the district establish an oxygen plant as Covid-19 cases increase.
He also wants government to support local health facilities with oxygen concentrators and equipment to establish isolation centres.
Kasese has recorded over 70 cases in the new wave within two weeks. Five of these are in critical stages.
Currently, the district COVID-19 task force is stuck with patients after the regional referral hospital got filled up.
Fort Portal Regional referral hospital was designated to handle patients from across the Tooro-Rwenzori region as the government decentralized COVID-19 case treatment centres.
But Baseka now says the district is struggling to provide oxygen to critically ill patients, something that is affecting general management of Covid-19 cases.
He also says they are worried that patients undergoing home based care may not fully adhere to the medical precautions hence exposing both their families and the community to a risk.
Baseka says the Covid-19 situation in Kasese is worsening in the absence of basic health requirements.
Baseka says if the district doesn’t urgently acquire oxygen cylinders and concentrators, the community they are serving might perish without medical intervention.
He says the health workers have been trained on how to handle Covid-19 patients so it will be unfortunate if a patient dies due to absence of resources.
Joshua Masereka, the deputy RDC Kasese re-echoed the need saying the remoteness of the district needs to urgently be considered by government.
He says it vital that basic health services be attached to the district hospitals.
Dr. Edward Wefula, the Kilembe Mines hospital medical superintendent says the facility is also struggling with high demand of patients in need of oxygen. Currently, the hospital cannot be in position to meet the excess oxygen demands.
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