Focus turns to Truck drivers as war on Covid-19 intensifies in Uganda

by Valerian Kkonde

PEARL NEWS SERVICE

Ministry of health Permanent Secretary Dr. Dania Atwine receiving a donation of 25,000 surgical masks from Human Road and Bridge Construction on April 29.

Measures put in place by the Uganda government to combat the Coronavirus pandemic have so far enabled the country to register outstanding achievements.

The first case of Covid-19 was registered on Saturday 21^st March, 2021. It was a male 36 year old Ugandan who had returned to the country from Dubai on Friday via Ethiopian Airlines. He was isolated in Entebe Grade B hospital.

A broken health system and rampant corruption notwithstanding, Uganda is proving the WHO predictions of total devastation wrong. Covid-19 patients are being treated and discharged after recovering and the spread of the virus is tightly under control.  All confirmed cases are imported and there are no community transmissions so far.

By May 2, 2020 the country had 85 confirmed cases, while 52 had recovered and been discharged. No Covid-19 related death has been registered.

Measures in place include the closure of all schools, banning religious, political and social gatherings. Non food shops, bars and night clubs were all closed and people urged to keep washing their hands with soap and water, or to use sanitisers.

Public means of transport and private vehicles were all banned and people ordered to stay at home. The borders were also closed and passenger planes were also banned.

In a bid to keep going the supply of essential goods like food, drugs and health equipment trucks were allowed to keep plying the East African borders with only three people on board.

“I want to warn Ugandan women to stop interacting with these truck drivers. Do not allow visitors in your homes during the lockdown,” Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng the minister of health said.

By April 24, 2020 there were 19 confirmed Covid-19 cases of truck drivers. Only one was Ugandan; the rest were from Kenya and Tanzania.

Dr. Aceng revealed that there are 53 entry points where the testing is carried out. The boarder points at Malaba on the Kenya border, and Mutukula on the Tanzania border have proved to be the danger spots.

“Tanzania is allowing its drivers to come to Uganda without testing them. This is causing us a lot of problems .”

The health officials and majority Ugandans have been calling for the ban of the trucks but President Museveni has categorically stated that they will continue plying the East African states but that the health officials must come up with very tough measures to prevent transmission of the virus.

In response to the threat posed by truck drivers, a Rapid Response Team Survey has been dispersed to different parts of the country to carry out tests especially in border communities and those where trucks in transit have been parking.

Each truck is supposed to have one person on board and the driver must not stop anywhere apart from the designated areas which are guarded by security officials. The drivers are supposed to have dry ration and must not get in contact with people.

On her visit to Mutukula border post on May 30 along the Tanzanian border, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health Dr. Dania Atwine was taken aback by the casualness at the border.

“The people at Mutukula leave for Tanzania at will, without any precautionary measures in place.  On the side of Tanzania it is business as usual.  This is dangerous and must stop. Those coming in here from the Tanzanian side must be put in quarantine because we do not know who is carrying the Coronavirus.”

Appearing on the Central Broadcasting Services (CBS) FM on May 2, the minister of Industry and trade Amelia Kyambadde said that they are having trouble to convince the Kenyan counterparts to adhere to the proposals that have been put in place to stop the spread of the Coronavirus. She said that the Kenyan people are insisting on having three people per truck and that it will be up to us to choose who to continue on the journey inside Uganda. They are also insisting that they will only be screening their drivers.

“Testing one person costs us US $ 65. These people are avoiding the expenses of testing but we shall not have any of that. There must be one person per truck and must abide by our guidelines else they will be arrested.”

Hon Amelia Kyambadde, who is also the MP for Mawokota added that the World Health Organisation stipulates that every person who tests positive for Covid-19 must be treated as your own person. The victim must be treated from that very country and cannot be forcefully taken back to the home country.