William Onyai, the Gulu District Health Educator and the person in -charge of Home-Based Care in the district says that several patients under home-based care are flouting the standard operating procedures which are putting other people at risk of getting infected.
The home-based isolation and care for COVID -19 positive patients
have failed in Gulu following poor adherence to the Standard Operating Procedures.
Under home care, people who test positive for the disease but are not
asymptomatic or do not have any other underlying conditions such as diabetes,
asthma or even high blood pressure stay home in isolation for at least 14 days
or until the test negative for the disease. This way, treatment facilities are
left for a moderate and severe case of the disease that requires hospitalization.
During the home care, the health ministry is supposed to follow up with phone
calls to monitor the progress of the sick.
William Onyai, the Gulu District Health Educator and the person in -charge of
Home-Based Care in the district says that several patients under home-based
care are flouting the standard operating procedures which are putting other
people at risk of getting infected.
// Cue in: “Some few people…
Cue out …what you want.” //
Onyai revealed that over 60 COVID- 19 patients in the urban areas of the
district have so far been enrolled under home-based care but that most are seen
roaming in town while others have travelled using public means like taxis and
buses.
// Cue in: “Others are going…
Cue out …death now coming.” //
Onyai also added that they have endeavored to follow up on the patients under
home-based care through phone calls or their caretakers and that plans are
underway to introduce the program in the rural areas.
One of the recovered patients who underwent the home-based
isolation and care told URN on condition of anonymity that lack of close follows
up of the patients by the health workers in the district is failing home-based
isolation and care.
Maj. Santos Okot Lapolo, the Gulu Resident District Commissioner
who also doubles as the District COVID -19 Taskforce, however, appealed to the
locals not to take any chance with COVID -19 since it is a deadly virus.
Lapolo disclosed that so far 28 people have died of COVID -19 from Gulu and
that if people don’t observe the guidelines put in place by the Ministry of
Health, more infections and deaths shall be recorded in the district.
