Kagadi-Patients are deserting Kagadi general Hospital over increased fear of the Coronavirus (COVID -19).

Beds have become vacant as patients are sneaking out of the hospital as the number of Ugandans with the virus continues to grow.

On Friday, our reporter visited the hospital and observed that many of the wards had between four to seven patients.

Patients at the hospital who did   not want to be named said that many people who were in the hospital feared for their lives since the government said that crowds are a way through which the disease is contracted.    

They said most of the patients started leaving the hospital last week when they heard rumours that some health workers had been tested positive for Coronavirus .Most of them left even before they obtained discharge forms from health workers.   

 The Kagadi general hospital administrator Simon Peter said male, female, children and maternity wards are mostly affected.

He says the wards which used to accommodate 25 patients now have between 4 to 7 patients.

He attributed the desertion to the increasing cases of covid-19 cases at the hospital and other health centres.

As of Friday, Kagadi had registered 16 health workers who had tested positive to coronavirus.14 are from Kagadi general hospital.

 The Kagadi resident district commissioner (RDC) also the head of the district Covid-19 task force Lillian Rutereraho told our reporter that Kagadi district has so far recorded 122 cases of covid-19 of the second wave. The cumulative number totals to 189 since covid-19 was declared in Uganda in March last year.

She says the disease has mostly affected shengeli engineering Construction Company with 73 cases, community members with 29 cases, healthy workers with 16 cases and 4 staff members from raising the village organization.

However, the Kagadi district Health officer (DHO) Dr. Olowo James has called for calm as the district health department is doing what it takes to contain the surge.

He asked the general public to continue visiting health facilities to receive health services since no facility has been closed.

He said most of the patients are not in critical condition and are being managed at their homes respectively.