Greater Arua Districts Grappling with Inadequate Ambulance, Transport to Manage Covid-19 Pandemic

The greater Arua districts of Terego, residual Arua, Madi Okollo and Arua City are grappling
with challenges of lack of Ambulance and means of transport to manage the
Corona pandemic.

The leaders revealed this during a meeting to ascertain the impact of the pandemic and
challenges in managing it in Arua.

According to the leaders in the greater Arua, their efforts to contain the pandemic is continuously being frustrated by the inadequacy and lack of ambulance and transport services.

Residual Arua district having a cumulative Covid19 positivity of 267 males and 215 females currently has only one ambulance, which is in adequate to manage Covid19 cases in the
district.

Paul Drileba, the acting DHO says the situation has become difficult to manage the four Sub
Counties with only a single ambulance.

According to records from Madi Okollo district, out of 1000 cumulative tests done, 60
covid19 positive cases have been recorded of which 11 are refugees with 5
deaths.

Dr. George Angupale the acting Health Officer Madi Okollo in a status update said lack of transport to reach out to sensitize communities has made some of the people to still nurse
negative attitude about the reality of Covid19 pandemic

Meanwhile in Terego district, which has a population of 401,000 people, (243,000 Nationals
and 168,700 refugees) 117 positive cases of Covid19 have been recorded with 3 deaths since the district took effect July 1st this year.

Mathew Bakole the Assistant District Health officer Terego revealed that in addition to not
having an ambulance for referrals and means of transport to reach to communities, they are also constrained by lack of a treatment center for Covid19 positive cases, which have resulted in to a huge covid19 burden on the young district.

Similarly, in Arua City, which also took effect on July 1st 2021, the City Taskforce with a population of 370,000 people and an area of over 400 Sq Kms is struggling to manage the pandemic amid challenges.

Dr. Pontius Apangu Arua City Principal Health Officer explained that they have recorded 102
positive cases since July with 3 dead and 12 recoveries and 7 cases under
treatment.

Dr. Apangu noted that coordinating Covid19 and other health activities in the two divisions of
Central and Ayivu has become difficult due to lack of transport means, adding that the two ambulances donated to them have a design that risks spreading the pandemic if used for Covid19 patients.

However, the leaders in the greater Arua have been encouraged to make use of local solutions
including vigorous community sensitization on observation of SOPs to supplement on resources channeled from the Central government in the fight against the Corvid19 pandemic