Led by their zonal chairperson, Jimmy Okalo, the recovered patients said that although the first negative results were availed to them five days after the tests were conducted, the confirmatory test results were announced to them after a week.
Over 13 patients who were on Friday afternoon discharged
from the Jinja Regional Referral isolation unit have raised concern over the delayed
release of their results after recovery.
Led by their zonal chairperson, Jimmy Okalo, the recovered patients said that although the
first negative results were availed to them five days after the tests were conducted, the confirmatory test results
were announced to them after a week.
Okalo says that such delays had caused anxiety in their zone, forcing a section of the victims to plot an escape from the isolation centre. However, they were blocked by vigilant health workers. He says that most of the victims are the breadwinners in
their homes and the delays in discharging them from the centre even after recovery directly affects
the immediate family members.
//Cue in; “during our stay…
Cue out…it has delayed.”//
Tadeo Kikomeko, who was also discharged says that as
patients struggle to regain emotional and physical stability, health workers should
play their roles in releasing checkup results on time.
“We suffer both emotional
and physical weaknesses, however, our spirits are derailed further when we
spend three weeks in this isolation centre but take ages to be discharged, it is
really unfair,” he says.
He adds that this kind of arrangement is discouraging,
imagine health workers informing us that, they were using 24-hour rapid test
kits yet results are received in four days’ time.”
Aisha Nakawunde, the nurse in charge of the isolation unit
admitted the abnormally adding that, the concerns have been addressed to the health
ministry officials for consideration. The number of recoveries at the isolation centre has risen to 17 with 18 active cases.
