Samples taken from a patient who died at Gulu Regional Referral Hospital under suspected Ebola-like symptoms has tested negative, health officials have said. The deceased, a 40-year-old man, was admitted to the hospital on Wednesday morning after complaining of chest pains and who later developed complications before passing away at about 6pm in the evening.
According to Walter Uryek-wun, the Hospital Principal Assistant Secretary, the patient was first received at the facility at around 9 a.m. and was immediately attended to by the hospital medical team.
Uryek-wun said the patient was stabilized and later transferred to the medical ward at about 3 p.m. for further management. He however said, the patient’s condition reportedly deteriorated at around 6 p.m ending in his death. “He was stable to the level that he managed to walk without support to the ward,” Uryek-wun explained in a statement issued on Thursday.
Hospital officials said medical workers became concerned after observing the deceased bleeding through the nose shortly before he died, triggering fears of a possible Ebola infection among staff, patients and members of the public. Uganda Radio Network learnt that a sample from the deceased was immediately picked and sent to the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) regional Laboratory in Arua city for examination.
On Thursday, Uryek-Wun confirmed that the test results had returned negative adding that the deceased didn’t die of Ebola disease. He reassured the public and hospital staff that there was currently no Ebola case registered at Gulu Regional Referral Hospital. “Let us be confident that we do not have Ebola disease in GRRH. However, let us all take precautions against Ebola disease as guided by the Ministry of Health,” he added.
Uryek-wun also urged the public and health workers to remain vigilant and report any suspected Ebola cases to the Ministry of Health and hospital management.
Following the death of the patient, fear and anxiety gripped residents and medical staff at the facility, forcing an emergency evacuation of other patients from the ward. The ward was immediately isolated and cordoned off, leaving only the deceased’s body inside after mortuary attendants allegedly declined to receive the body over fears of possible Ebola infection.
The development comes amid heightened public alertness following recent Ebola concerns reported in parts of the country.
In the neighboring Amuru District, the District Surveillance Officer Robert Onekalit told URN earlier that they have embarked on training of all health works in high volume health facilities on Ebola disease. The district has also formed an Ebola Task Force in readiness to conduct surveillance, sensitization and prevention interventions on Ebola.
According to the Ministry of Health, at least seven Ebola cases, including one death, have so far been confirmed in the country. Three of the confirmed cases are reportedly health workers, while two others were imported from the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo, the epicenter of the outbreak.
Uganda has since closed all its borders with the Democratic Republic of Congo following the outbreak of the Ebola disease caused by the Bundibugyo virus strain.
By press time, management of Gulu Regional Referral Hospital had convened an emergency meeting involving top hospital leadership to discuss appropriate measures for handling suspected Ebola cases and preventing a possible spread of the disease-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
