Covid-19: Budaka Health Center IV Closes General Ward, OPD Over Increasing Cases

The management of Budaka Health Center IV in Budaka district has closed the outpatient department and general wards over the increasing COVID-19 cases and deaths.  It comes three days after four patients at the health center, according to sources succumbed to COVID-19.    

Dr. John Wogabaga, the In-Charge of Budaka Health Center IV, says that only the maternity ward has remained open. He says that patients have shunned the health facility due to the corona scare as two adults succumbed to COVID-19 in the general ward and a pregnant woman died on her way to Mbale Regional Referral hospital.    

According to Wogabaga, despite the rising number of COVID-19 patients, they lack the necessary facilities like isolation unit, oxygen concentrators and Personal Protective Equipment, which has made handling the cases a huge dilemma.

As of today, the health center had registered 132 positive cases and 4 deaths. Nasur Masaba, the Budaka District Coronavirus Surveillance Officer told the task force meeting last week that Budaka town council, Kamonkoli, Mugiti and Kameruka sub-counties are hot spots for COVID-19. 

Masaba warned that the situation might escalate if residents remain adamant about the implementation of SOPs especially during burials. Budaka Health Center IV receives between 500 to 800 patients with different health complications daily.