Mbale hospital runs out of space for new COVID-19 patients

Mbale, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Mbale Regional Referral Hospital has for the second time stopped admitting COVID-19 patients due to lack of space. The hospital director Dr Emmanuel Tugaineyo says that all the 50 beds in the COVID-19 isolation unit are occupied.

Mbale Regional Referral Hospital serves 16 districts within Bugisu, Bukedi and Sebei sub-regions. Currently, it has admitted patients from the border districts of Tororo, Busia and Bukwo. But Dr Tugaineyo says they have halted new admissions until the old patients are discharged.

“I have told my team not to allow in any patient because we have now run out of beds. We will resume admissions when the ones who have recovered are discharged,” Dr Tugaineyo said.

All new patients are now being transferred to Lira, Moroto, Jinja Regional Referral hospitals which poses a huge challenge to some of them. Dr Tugaineyo says they received a donation of a tent with a capacity of hosting ten beds from Absa bank but they are yet to install it due to lack of beds.

Dr Jonathan Wangisi, the Mbale district health officer has warned about the increasing Covid-19 cases resulting from community infections.

At least 156 patients have gone through the Mbale Regional Referral Hospital isolation unit. In June, the hospital ran out of space in the isolation unit that was operating in the outpatient department, prompting management to move them to the mental health unit.

******

URN