Mulago National Specialized Hospital is set to be used as isolation and treatment centre for anyone who may contract the COVID-19.
The Executive Director, Dr. Byarugaba Baterana said the hospital has been fully equipped with all the vital necessities and is ready to operate.
“We can admit as many as 900 patients in this hospital but initially if patients become many we shall admit only two in each cubical but we are able to handle a good number of patients,” he said.
While speaking to the media on Thursday, Byarugaba said the hospital is working tooth and nail to ensure that it can accommodate and handle any situation in case of an outbreak.
However,the upsurge in the number of cases could be very stressing for our patients.
“The hospital like Mulago may not have all the ingredients to use in the epedamic although we have got the equipment, man power and knowledge but if the number of patients become overwhelming .We shall need a big support from the ministry of health,” he said.
Byarugaba further urged the public to follow the containment and preventive measures outlined by the ministry of health to reduce risk of contracting the virus.
“For those who are sick, make sure you get the vitamins to boost your immunity so that the virus is fought. I urge the public to eat well because these are the basic facts and for those who are sick we shall treat them for free but without attendants,” he said.
Dr. Jane Nakibuuka ,a senior physician at the hospital elaborated how the pandemic is to be handled especially for those under critical condition.
“An ICU bed unlike other beds on the wards is able to change positions based on what you want to achieve and we have some equipment such as the medical ventilators ,the monitors among others,” she said.
She also added that the hospital Possesses a feeding pump to feed those in critical condition who cannot to eat by themselves.
“Most of these patients in most cases if they are very sick ,they would not eat like any other normal person so they are fed through a tube that goes to the stomach,”she noted.
The East African region currently has a total of 15 cases of coronavirus, a figure which is relatively quite manageable.
According to the minister of health Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng, the ministry has so far used 112 billion towards averting the virus.