By Patrick Ebong
The minister of Health, Dr Jane Aceng, has reassured Ugandans that the outbreak of a new variant of Covid-19 in Uganda will not affect the planned full reopening of the economy in January.
Aceng says seven cases of Omicron which were confirmed by her ministry on Tuesday are “asymptomatic and the patients are undergoing home base care”.
The minister said President Yoweri Museveni would likely announce the country’s full economy reopening during his New Year message on December 31.
She made the remarks after commissioning Shs33.2 billion new buildings at Lira Regional Referral Hospital yesterday. Dr Aceng also assured Ugandans that the country will not again go into any lockdown despite the presence of Omicron Covid-19 variant.
She appealed to people who are not yet vaccinated to get vaccinated, because it is reported that the Omicron variant was not affecting those who are vaccinated but appears to be affecting more unvaccinated people.
She commended the Japanese government for their financial aid to Uganda for the improvement of regional referral hospitals in Uganda.
The Shs33.2 billion commissioned project at Lira Regional Referral Hospital involved the construction of an OPD and delivery unit comprising six suites. The OPD comprises an ultra-modern building with ultramodern equipment.
The facility has enough rooms consisting of specialized rooms for mothers and children, special clinics, ultramodern casualty unit where patients can be received, resuscitated and then transferred accordingly to where they need services.
