President Yoweri Museveni has cautioned witch doctors, traditional healers and religious leaders against admitted sick people in their shrines or places of treatment.
While addressing the nation on Wednesday night on the status of the Ebola outbreak in the country, the President warned the above groups to avoid physical contact with sick people and instead refer them to hospitals for proper treatment.
“The witch doctors, traditional healers and herbalists should not accept sick people in your
shrines or places of treatment. Advise them to call health workers for safe transfer to hospitals,” Museveni said.
To religious leaders he said; ” Religious leaders should not accept sick people with symptoms of Ebola who come seeking for healing prayers because when you touch them, you will contract Ebola. Advise them to call health workers for safe transfer to hospitals.”
Museveni’s deliberation follows the recent death of a patient diagnosed with Ebola at Kiruddu General Hospital, Kampala.
A detailed report on the patient indicates that the deceased identified as Twagirayezu Ndahiro fled the isolation ward at Mubende referral hospital a week ago, after health workers listed him as a contact to a diagnosed patient.
According to the Ministry of Health, Ndahiro switched names and traveled to Luwero to seek the spiritual healing from of a certified witch. However, that didn’t go well as his condition deteriorated even further, prompting him to travel for medical care in Kampala.
While at Kiruddu, the deceased changed his name to avoid being related to Ebola in Mubende. He died on Friday October 7, and was rushed to Mubende for burial by relatives who were intercepted while laying his body to rest.
“The behavior exhibited by this family of refusing follow up, running away to look for treatment at the
witch doctors’ shrines, telling lies and hijacking dead bodies of Ebola cases for rituals poses a great risk of spreading Ebola to the communities and the surrounding districts. We cannot allow this to go on
because it puts the lives of all Ugandans at risk and disrupts normal activities in the area and the entire
country,” the President explained.
He further explained that: “We are not saying don’t use your traditional herbs because they can work in some cases that are known to us, but if the government declares an epidemic, please listen to what the government is saying.”
The President, however, clarified that Ebola is non existent in Kampala.
“There has been a lot of rumors and anxiety about confirmed cases of Ebola in Kampala City, specifically Kiruddu Hospital. I would like to inform the general public that there is no confirmed case of Ebola in Kampala City. As I already indicated to you above, a confirmed case was admitted at Kiruddu Hospital from Mubende and died. Twenty Four people have been listed as contacts and are under quarantine. This event shows you the possibility of Ebola erupting in Kampala if we are not vigilant and people remain defiant to medical advice. There are so many people reporting signs and symptoms similar to Ebola within Kampala and Wakiso.”
The Ministry of Health last month confirmed the outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease –EVD in Uganda with the epicenter being Mubende district, particularly the Madudu sub-county. Subsequently, Ebola alerts have been heard in several other districts.
As of the 12th of October 2022, there were fifty-four (54) Ebola cases and 19 registered deaths while up to 20 people have recovered from the deadly disease. Ebola victims present with symptoms such as fatigue, fever, headache diarrhea, fever, chest pain, vomiting, and unexplained bleeding in the open parts of the body, for example, nose, mouth, eyes, and ears among others.
