By Martha John Savio
Health personnel in Kitgum district had cautioned residents over Ebola infections.
The acting district health officer in Kitgum and a doctor in Kitgum General Hospital Mr. Okello Andrew in a phone interview yesterday Thursday said, residents should be aware of preventable measures to avoid contacting Ebola infections in various ways such as:
Avoiding body sweat contacts in forms of greetings, if one is using a boarder border means, you should be conscious on the sitting distance.
Public places like markets, churches, hospitals, schools, hotels, and other organizations should make sure that clean water and Jiik liquid should be provided at the entrance and exit points where hands can be washed before carrying out any business.
Dr. Okello further cautioned that the far regions of Uganda like West, South and Central should be aware of the visitors from Democratic Republic of Congo.
Since they mainly contact with wild animals like bats, gorillas and other animals that carry this kind of viruses.
Dr. Okello said that neighbors should be vigilant about one’s condition in terms of sickness to be able to identify whether one is sick of Ebola or not and should alert concerned authorities.
Meanwhile the head of task force personnel in the district Mr. Sega Jimmy Ebil who is also the Residence District Commissioner (RDC) said in Kitgum district, there is no confirmed case of Ebola but still the guidelines should be followed.
He narrated that last evening at around 7:00PM, there were two cases in Pajero Village Akwang sub county that a 75 year old mother and a 12 year old boy was brought to Pajero health center while vomiting blood on testing it was Malaria and the sample is being kept for further testing in Entebbe Laboratory, Kampala City.
But the old woman decided to escape from the health facility on which a search for her is ongoing to take her sample.
Mr. Ebil discourages such habits and acts because it contaminates society yet Ebola is a killer disease.
The health personnel consequently stated that, they will harmonize with Lamwo district taskforce to create more awareness especially in the refugee camps since they keep on receiving refugees from South Sudan and are vulnerable group of people.
The health personnel termed Ebola and COVID-19 as “Two Gemo” in Acholi Mother Tongue which means a mysterious disease.
Ebola virus symptoms are high fever, headache, coldness and blood flow from opening of body organs like nose, mouth eyes and ears or bloody substance vomiting.