Doctors angry after colleague succumbs to Ebola
By Dan Mwesigwa
The medical profession is unhappy with the manner in which Dr. Ali Mohammed died Saturday morning.
This was after Health Minister, Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng made the announcement this morning thus:
“I regret toannounce that we have lost our first doctor, Dr Mohammed Ali, a Tanzanian National, 37yr old Male today at 3:15am. He tested positive for Ebola on Sept 26, 2022 and died while receiving treatment at Fort Portal RRH, Isolation facility (JMedic).”
But the profession has not received the news lightly.
Dr. Samuel Odong Oledo, the President – Uganda Medical Association (UMA) wonders how “many health workers shall we have to lose until things get better.”
According to Dr. Oledo, 3 other medics are in critical condition and in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
“When we lose Doctors on the frontline, what do we do? Do we just pray for their souls to Rest In Peace or do we check ourselves to see what else we need to do? Rest in Power Dr. Ali Muhammad. We shall defeat,” Musa Lumumba El-Nasoor says.
Dr. Jacob Otile seems not to have the confidence in the system.
“We all know how the story goes,” Dr. Otile says, advising colleagues to be safe.
“This disease kills almost 100%.”
According to NTV Uganda journalist, Walter Mwesigye, Fort Portal regional referral hospital (where Dr. Ali died) is short of intensive care health workers.
“Most of them who were trained during the covid19 outbreak were volunteering and have since been terminated by the ministry of health. The hospital has 10 ICU beds,” Mesigye tweeted Saturday.
Sources say that the situation Fort Portal is in, is largely across the country.
Dr. Oledo says that three more health workers are battling for their lives.
“Our intern is not doing well & we are trying to mobilise ICU care for him, 1 SHO with the anaesthetist, we are hopeful that our cry will be heard before 6pm & if nothing is done, the press conference of tomorrow will announce plan B by doctors,” Dr. Oledo says.
By the time of his death, Dr. Ali was doing a masters of medicine in surgery from KIU (Kampala International University) and was allocated to Mubende RRH for clinical practice.
