Vendor who vomited blood and died
Tension is building in Kampala City after a fruit vendor at Nakasero market suddenly vomited blood, collapsed and died on Monday night.
Christine Namuli 36, a resident of Kasubi in Rubaga Division fell to the ground and started vomiting blood on Monday at about 8:30 pm on Monday night.
Eye witnesses allege that blood was also coming out of her ears, creating fear and panic among her colleagues and police officers who responded to the scene. The lifeless body was abandoned at the scene until about 11 pm when Ebola medical teams from the Ministry of Health arrived clad in protective gear, wrapped and carried the body to the mortuary.
Kampala Metropolitan police mouthpiece Patrick Onyango has confirmed the incident. He says the body is currently at the Mulago City Mortuary awaiting a postmortem report.
Onyango explained to our reported Minah Nalule that since the deceased vomited blood, police officers at the scene were hesitant to touch the body because it appeared to show signs of the deadly Ebola Virus Disease, that has been confirmed in five districts of Central Uganda.
Vendor who vomited blood and died
He says vendors and passers by were all notified not to touch the body until the Ebola Medical team from Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA), turned up in an ambulance and examined the lifeless body before wrapping it in a polythene bag and later transporting it to the hospital.
He adds that the same team took samples from the bleeding body that will be tested at the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI).
Onyango has cautioned the public against moving close to or touching bodies of people who die under similar circumstances.
He says police is awaiting a postmortem report from the hospital while Ministry of Health tests samples of the deceased for Ebola.
On 20 September, the health authorities in Uganda declared an outbreak of Ebola after a case of the Sudan strain was confirmed in Mubende district in the central part of the country.
As of 9 October, the Ministry of Health reports 48 Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) confirmed cases in 5 districts (Mubende: 40; Kyegegwa: 3; Kasanda: 3; Kagadi: 1; Bunyangabu: 1), with 4 new EVD confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, all from Mubende district.
There are 37 deaths (17 EVD confirmed, 20 probable) and 14 recoveries. 10 healthcare workers infections have been reported, with 4 deaths. 1,110 cumulative contacts listed of which 657 are under active follow-up with a follow up rate of 95% .
On October 11, 2022, the health Ministry confirmed five health workers have recovered from Ebola and been discharged from the Entebbe Isolation unit.
The public has been encouraged to be calm and vigilant as the Ministry responds to the situation.
National and local authorities as well as partners have been mobilised to scale up the operational response, which faces critical challenges including the low stocks of response supplies; difficulties for contact tracing, Infection Prevention and Control (IPC), information management and coordination; delays in laboratory results upload; mobile laboratory in need of furnishing; insufficient community engagement; and gaps in human resources and logistics.
