Uganda: ‘Treatment strategy helps recovery of COVID-19 patients’

By Abele Mariam

KAMPALA, Uganda (AA) – More than half of people, who had reported coronavirus or COVID-19 infection in the landlocked East African country of Uganda have recovered.

Out of 98 pandemic cases reported in the country so far, 55 people have been discharged from hospitals.

Uganda is also among a few countries, which have not reported any death from the COVID-19.

Local authorities said that infections in the country had come mostly from the truck drivers from Tanzania, Kenya, and Burundi.

Emmanuel Safali, 64, discharged from the hospital on April 16 said it was a journey back to life.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Safali said he was confirmed positive after he had reported a coarse throat.

“It was very painful, but I did not know that I had contacted COVID-19,” he said.

A diabetic patient for the past 20 years, Safali said when he was admitted to the hospital, he was repeatedly given vitamin C tablets and kept in monitoring.

Doctors attended to his diabetic problem and kept it in control.

Executive Director of Mulago National Referral Hospital Dr. Baterana Byarugaba said the treatment strategy of Uganda has helped to keep the infections in check.

“Our success is due to our ability to maintain the patients on their normal drugs. What we have done is that, if patients are hypertensive, we treat hypertension. We treat diseases they may have been carrying like ulcers, diabetes, and all forms of diseases. And I think, that was part of our success,” said the doctor.

-No specific medicine

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni said while there was no specific medicine so far for the coronavirus, medical professionals in his country are supporting patients with several measures to increase their immunity and attend to their other ailments to help them to combat the virus.

Uganda has also used anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine to treat patients.

Dr. Fred Nakwagala, the senior consultant physician at the Mulago hospital, said they have used anti-malaria drugs under strict monitoring.

“We are examining every other organ in the body, once we receive a patient. We are following patients very closely and attend to even if there is any injury. And we keep monitoring the activities of the virus is in the body, “he said.

Uganda is currently on its third phase of lockdown after easing movement for workers in particular sectors including lawyers, mechanics, wholesale merchants, metal, and woodwork workshops.