Mulago Doctors Advise Gov’t to Lift Lockdown

Doctors at Mulago National Referral Hospital have advised the government of Uganda to lift the lockdown so that the country can return to normalcy.

According to doctors, Covid-19 diseases can be treated at home.

While addressing members of the Rotary Club of Kololo on Tuesday, Dr Byarugaba Bateran said Uganda should shift focus to other serious diseases.

“l told Ugandans right from the beginning that the type of coronavirus we expect in Uganda is the mild one. It can be treated at health centre II, III, IV or the district hospital,” Dr Baterana said.

“Some cases can be treated at home and do not need referral unless the patient has other underlying sicknesses such as cancer, diabetes, and hypertension,” he added.

, Dr Fred Nakwagala, the head of Covid-19 case management at Mulago hospital, also added his voice to Baterana’s views saying that Covid-19 is not as deadly as portrayed.

“It doesn’t make sense to lock down people permanently when preventing a mild disease. People are going to die of serious diseases. Uganda has 400,000 people with diabetes. Right now, they are not getting treatment because they are not going to the hospital,” Dr Nakwagala said.

There have been calls from different people directed at the government to lift the lockdown. The government is currently lifting the lockdown in a phased manner.

Moses Kayigwa