As Uganda experiences a second wave and cases surge, some regional hospitals are repurposing part of their space to accommodate COVID-19 patients. At Gulu Regional Referral Hospital the antenatal care unit has been turned into a new COVID-19 treatment centre and turning away even pregnant women.
Studies have shown that one of the reasons for increased maternal mortality are failure by pregnant women to access health care on time as well as long distance to get to the facilities presents poor outcomes.
Dr Norah Nakato, the Hospital Principal Senior Nursing Officer says that they will only offer antenatal services to pregnant with complications who will be treated in a room that was previously used as a youth corner serving adolescents.
The women without complications can access antenatal services from the lower health facilities. On Wednesday more than 60 women seeking antenatal services were turned away and told to go to lower health facilities.
Doreen Angee, one of the affected mothers from Bardege cell who was turned away said the health centres they were referred to are far away from their homes and they can only resort to private facilities which are nearby but they are too expensive.
James Elima, the Hospital Director said the referral hospital received UGX 230 million from the Ministry of Health to open an additional treatment Centre for critically ill COVID-19 patients but the renovations have delayed to be completed. She said she anticipates that they will be complete in two weeks with 25 ICU beds to have a fully functional Intensive Care Unit for critically ill patients.
The regional referral hospital currently has 15 patients in the Intensive Care Unit while 1,994 patients have tested for the virus in Gulu district since March last year. More than 400 patients are under the home care based treatment. Since March 2020, more than 80 people have succumbed to the virus in Gulu according to the Ministry of Health.