They crawl, creep and obviously cause discomfort. - These are the lice that are giving the mentally ill persons a hell of a time at Butabika hospital.
The Uganda Radio Network reporter visited the hospital on Wednesday and found the patients busy picking the lice and nits from the hems and seams, and crushing them between their nails.
But the less fortunate patients, especially those put to sleep, are helpless. They simply can’t stop the lice from crawling on their bodies and finding shelter inside their uniforms.
Attendants are struggling to bring the beddings in the sun to get rid of the lice.
Budget cuts breed Lice
It may sound simply ridiculous, but the current budget cuts are being blamed by the wave of lice sweeping through Butabika hospital for the mentally ill.
The two laundry machines broke down a while ago, and the uniforms, bed sheets and blankets are no longer being cleaned – a recipe for dirt which is a haven for lice and nits.
During one of the management meetings held at the facility, Lice were top of the agenda, but the meeting put the matter aside. But later management decided to get a fumigation company to fumigate the patients’ wards.
Dr. David Basangwa, the Deputy Executive Director Butabika hospital, says the hospital spends about 700,000 shillings per month to fumigate the hospital premises, but this has taken a while.
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Stop gap measures
Butabika hospital management has decided to apply several measures to stop the lice menace. One of the measures is to shave off the hair and make sure that all linen is hand washed.
Hand washing may not be so effective but it is being applied as a stop gap measure.
Dr. Basangwa says they have decided to repair one of the laundry machines and also make sure that they are constantly serviced.
Butabika currently has a population of 750 patients instead of the 550 patients it’s meant to accommodate and as the mentally ill battle the lice, the key message is that nobody dies of lice, but the mentally ill have a right to a healthy life.
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