The Ministry of Health has closed Saidina Abubaker Islamic Hospital and placed all health workers in isolation to curb the spread of the Ebola Sudan virus.
The move follows the death of a 32-year-old male nurse from Mulago National Referral Hospital, whose post-mortem samples confirmed Sudan Ebola Virus Disease.
The nurse initially developed fever-like symptoms and sought treatment at multiple health facilities, including Saidina Abubakar Islamic Hospital in Watubba (Wakiso District), Mulago Referral Hospital, and Mbale Regional Hospital. He presented with a five-day history of high fever, chest pain, and difficulty breathing, which later escalated to unexplained bleeding from multiple body sites. He suffered multi-organ failure and died on January 29, 2025, at Mulago National Referral Hospital.
Dr. Emmanuel Mukisa, the Wakiso District Health Officer, confirmed that the Ministry of Health ordered the closure of Saidina Abubaker Islamic Hospital after 21 health workers and support staff were placed under isolation following contact with the deceased. The hospital is undergoing disinfection, and it will only reopen after the mandatory 21-day isolation period and confirmation that health workers are Ebola-free.
Mukisa also revealed that authorities are tracing Arima Clinic in Nabweru Division, where the deceased reportedly sought treatment before being evacuated. “All these measures are precautionary to prevent the spread of the virus in the community through health facilities,” he stated.
A toll-free hotline (0800300223) has been set up for the public to report suspected cases for immediate evacuation by the District Task Force on Ebola. Additionally, authorities have directed public places to install handwashing facilitiesand urged residents to carry hand sanitizers as a preventive measure.
Sheikh Ali-Ali Lubowa, Principal Hospital Administrator at Saidina Abubaker Islamic Hospital, confirmed that the facility has fully complied with the Ministry of Health directive. “Myself and other health workers are currently under isolation at Mulago Referral Hospital,” Lubowa said.
The deceased nurse was admitted to Saidina Abubaker Islamic Hospital’s High Dependency Unit on January 25, 2025, in critical condition. He was attended to by a doctor and nurses before his relatives requested a transfer to Mbale Regional Hospital, where he later died.
On Tuesday, the Ministry of Health confirmed that two additional samples from close relatives of the deceased had tested positive for Ebola Sudan virus, raising concerns about further transmission.