The government has approved the release of 25 billion Shillings as preparedness funds against coronavirus.
Health Minister Jane Ruth Aceng has said that although the Ministry of Finance had indicated to parliament on Tuesday that this money wasn’t available, it was finally approved during a meeting held this afternoon.
The Secretary to the Treasury, Keith Muhakanizi while appearing before PAC on Tuesday indicated that the government lacks funds to handle any emergency that would arise from the Corona Virus outbreak.
He said that the matter was discussed in Cabinet on Monday as well as the issue of locusts, and Cabinet approved the release of Shillings 15 billion from the Contingency Fund.
However, during a press conference held on Wednesday evening, the minister confirmed the approval of UGX 25 billion to invest in the stocking of isolation centers at Naguru and Entebbe Referral Hospitals while other funds will go into screening activities at the border points, Entebbe Airport and strengthening surveillance.
The government has also advised the public to be more vigilant for signs and symptoms of the virus which include flu-like symptoms, fever, cough, and shortness in breath and in severe cases the sufferer develops pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome and kidney failure.
The Ministry is encouraging self-quarantine where people who have traveled are supposed to isolate themselves from their homes for a period of 14 days. During the period of isolation, health officials will be making spot checks on them until they are declared okay.
The Minister said that scientists are yet to establish how long the virus lasts outside the body before spreading to another person and that this is the reason as to why they are discouraging handshakes and use of masks in public places since even without symptoms, a person could likely be infectious.
According to Dr Yona Tegnen Woldermariam, the World Health Organization Uganda Country Representative, the organization recommends isolation and close monitoring for everyone who has recently traveled to China.
The World Health Organization notes that their scientists are still studying the samples provided by the government of China to understand the virus better and establish all the information about it since it was just discovered last year in humans.
