Health workers screening pilgrims at the Uganda Martyrs Shrine, Namugongo are overwhelmed with the numbers amid limited human resource and inadequate supplies.
A number of screening centres were set up by the Ministry of Health in the wake of an Ebola crisis that has devastated the Democratic Republic of Congo for close to ten months. Each pilgrim at Namugongo is screened to determine their temperature, and places they have visited prior to the pilgrimage.
The ministry and other partners have also set up hand washing facilities, with Chlorine Water to disinfect all persons entering Namugongo. Teams from the Uganda Red Cross Society and Uganda Peoples Defense Forces –UPDF are also undertaking sensitizing drives in which pilgrims are taught about basic health practices like preventing body contact with others to control the spread of disease.
The medical teams are also providing first aid to pilgrims including among other things massaging those who have trekked long distances and handling some simple cases recorded ,according to Kenneth Kategaya, the Red Cross team leader.
Uganda Red Cross Society team has handled over 1,000 emergencies at Namugongo Catholic Shrine. Kategaya says they have handled 1,027 emergencies since May 1st asserting that they handled 120 cases on Sunday evening.
Kategeya adds that 22 pilgrims have been referred to Mulago, Kiruddu and Kawempe referral Hospitals since they could not handle them at their tent.
Meantime, Dr Eldard Mabumba, the Principal Medical Officer at the Ministry of Health notes that a number of pilgrims at the shrines are fatigued while several others have tested positive for malaria.
When contacted, State Minister for Health Sarah Opendi said the ministry is working around the clock to ensure that they increase the medical supplies and human resource at the venues.
