Clare
Catholic Relief Services, in partnership with the Uganda Catholic Medical Bureau, has donated Personal Protective Equipment to 51 health facilities in the Rwenzori region, to help protect health workers from Ebola.
The items, purchased from Joint Medical Stores and worth 3,000 US dollars, were flagged off today at Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital, with a call on those responsible to account for their distribution and use.
Handing over the items on Wednesday, Project Officer Ismail Kawati described the initiative as the Uganda Emergency Ebola Action project, and said Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital was chosen because it oversees health facilities across the region.
Mediatrix Bihiira Byaruhanga, a community health worker with the Uganda Catholic Medical Bureau, said grassroot research showed that despite existing prevention measures, Rwenzori remains at high risk of receiving contacts from Congo through unmonitored routes.
Representing top management of Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital, Hospital Principal Administrator David Ssemakula commended CRS and the Church for their continued support to healthcare. He pledged technical supervision to the receiving facilities, urged proper use of the gear, and promised follow-up on how it is utilized. He called for continued collaboration with CRS.
The Diocesan Health Coordinator, Fr. Jude Kasaija Araali, commended CRS for lobbying the funds and the Uganda Catholic Medical Bureau for implementing the project, saying that when health workers are safe, the entire community is safe.