COVID-19: Uganda is one of the countries in Africa that is facing a pandemic more head-on in other places concealed and minimized. The number of positive coronavirus cases is growing exponentially.

COVID-19 in Uganda – On September 23rd, the total number of infections was 7,064 cases throughout the country with a daily increase in the last week between 114 and 423 cases. As the number of cases increases, the hospitalization capacity for new COVID-19 patients is dramatically decreasing. A drama that Italy knows well, almost a déjà vu.

UGANDA, THE ALARM OF THE SOLETERRE FOUNDATION ON COVID-19 EMERGENCY

The Soleterre Foundation, based in Milan, is narrating the situation. In Uganda, it is offering psychological support to patients, family members, medical and health care personnel, but it is also offering materials for sanitation and sanitation, in addition to the Dpi, at the Gulu Regional Referral Hospital, a health reference point and for the COVID-19 in the north of the country.

The hospital has reached the maximum possible reception of patients for COVID-19, equal to 140 beds. Many patients, moreover, struggle to reach a full hospital anyway, lacking means of transport: sometimes ambulances must be stopped for lack of fuel.

Needless to emphasize how dangerous it is, for the patient and for those who may be potentially infected around him, a lack of afference to our hospital.

The local authorities, by virtue of such a sudden increase in the number of contagions, reacted by providing adequate reception facilities in another hospital, not far away, St. Mary Lacor Hospital, where there is an Intensive Care Unit.

To understand how important it is to limit the spread of the coronavirus in Uganda (and in a large part of the rest of Africa), just one thing is enough: in the whole of Northern Uganda there are currently only 25 intensive care units: 20 at St. Mary Lacor Hospital and 5 in preparation at the Gulu Regional Referral Hospital.

COVID-19 IN UGANDA, THE PROXIMITY OF THE SOLETERRE FOUNDATION:

“A further element of concern – writes the foundation on its site – comes from the fact that at St. Mary Lacor Hospital in Gulu, the building identified to house the COVID-19 cases is located in front of the Family House built and managed for years by Soleterre and dedicated to the reception of young cancer patients being treated in the hospital.

Due to the proximity to the facility used to treat COVID-19 and the consequent risk it poses to children with immunodepression, their transfer to another building is being started.

“Fondazione Soleterre has never interrupted its work for the health of sick children in Gulu during these difficult months – explains Damiano Rizzi, President of Fondazione Soleterre.

Since June, we have been working to provide psychological support and protective devices to health personnel, thanks to the support of Fondazione Raffaella Children’s Block and Fondazione Giuseppe e Pericle Lavazza Onlus.

Given the increase in COVID-19 cases in the two hospitals with which we collaborate, we have decided to intensify our efforts both by providing additional psychologists – who normally assist children with cancer and their parents – to offer psycho-emotional support to patients, family members and healthcare personnel involved in the COVID-19 emergency and by guaranteeing additional supplies of sanitizing materials, hand washing points, personal protective equipment and other urgent healthcare materials.

There is still a lot to do and we need everyone’s support.

READ THE ITALIAN ARTICLE

SOURCE

SOLTERRE ONLUS