Tension has today risen to worrying levels at Uganda’s border with Rwanda in Kisoro district after health authorities isolated four people suspected to have contracted Ebola virus disease (EVD).
Authorities say these people have all signs and symptoms linked to Ebola and worse still, they recently returned from Mubende district where they had gone to attend a burial ceremony.
Mubende is known to be the genesis of Ebola in Uganda, which was first detected in Ngabano village, Madudu Sub County on September 20th, when a 24- year- old male presented EVD symptoms and died shortly.
Resident District Commissioner (RDC) for Kisoro District Hajj Shafic Ssekandi said authorities are genuinely worried of a likely disaster that might befall Kisoro if this deadly disease spreads to refugee camps, and that people entering Kisoro from Mubende have to be screened sufficiently.
“Those people have been quarantined because we found out that they were on their way from Mubende to attend a burial ceremony, so we are worried that the disease might spread at a higher rate due to travels across districts, and we have decided to isolate them for 21 days as we closely monitor them in coordination with health experts, ” Ssekandi said.
He added that the number of people fleeing Mubende district has increased in the past days as these citizens try to escape the deadly disease. In response, authorities in Kisoro have mounted surveys on major roads to ensure that whoever enters the district is sufficiently screened, and have also started enforcing anti Ebola guidelines put in place by the Ministry of Health (MoH).
“We appeal to the population to avoid unnecessary travels, burials should be summarily conducted and we have also instituted Ebola committees in schools, we urge people to stay away from over crowded areas, and wash hands all the time, desist from shaking hands, ” Ssekandi added.
“Here in Kisoro we have refugees who live like school children and we are genuinely worried that incase a single person contracts this disease in a single refugee camp, Uganda will be plunged into disaster.”
The District Health Officer (DHO) for Kisoro Dr. Steven Nsabiyumva says as the medical fraternity, they lack necessary equipment to fight the deadly Ebola virus disease.
It should be noted that on September 26th, health authorities in Kisoro expressed worry of an eminent Ebola outburst in the South Western district, due to lack of equipment to screen a large number of Congolese who enter Uganda through Bunagana border, escaping insecurity back home.
“……. now they are four. Two were quarantined at their homes, with instructions from our officers then VHTs are monitoring them but these ones who were intercepted at checkpoints we haven’t got where we can quarantine them,” remarked Nsabiyumva.
“Of course we don’t want them to mix with others and they are being monitored by VHTs and they are taking daily temperatures of theirs,” he added.
Ever since a case of Ebola, the Sudan strain was confirmed in central parts of Mubende district on September 20th, there has been speculation of more cases, with other suspicious deaths people say are linked to the lethal disease.
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