Two male patients have been admitted, isolated, and are being screened for the Ebola virus at Kisiizi Hospital in Rukungiri district, south western Uganda. The first patient was admitted on Sunday, August 5 while the second patient was admitted yesterday.
One of the patients is said to have been in Kibaale district three week backs and later on decided to go back to his home in Rukungiri whereupon he fell sick and developed Ebola like symptoms.
Sources from the hospital say that the patients have been isolated from the rest of the patients at the hospital and their samples sent to Uganda Virus Research Institute in Entebbe for tests.
Sister Moreen Tumwebaze, the nurse in charge of the isolation section, told our reporter on phone from Rukungiri that they are closely monitoring the two patients.
She said that the relatives of the patients had been prohibited from accessing them as part of the containment measures.
Tumwebaze said that the patients are receiving specialized care from the hospital although she admitted that the hospital does have enough protective gear in case they have to treat more patients.
She however urged the people of Rukungiri to remain calm saying that the disease will be handled with extra care and asked them to follow the necessary precautions.
Dr. Elisha Rutahirwa, the Rukungiri district director of health services, confirmed the admission of these two patients. He could only divulge that the first patient is aged 16 and had spent a considerable time in Kibaale district before returning to his home district. He stressed that the two patients are under observation and nor confirmed Ebola virus patients.
He did sound a note of caution to residents urging them to be careful in their travel to affected areas to avoid contracting the disease.
