KASESE – Two Ebola treatment centers in Kasese have been burnt down by an angry mob, the Health Ministry said, underscoring a breakdown in public trust that is hampering efforts to contain the deadly virus.
The destruction of two Ebola screening points in Kisolholho village occurred on Wednesday in Kasese district.
According to district authorities, the incident happened at Maliba-Abiri and Masango, which are major entry points from the war revenged Democratic Republic of Congo.
Mr. Sylvester Baghene, a member of ten Village Health Team working at Maliba-Abiri says that earlier, a 19-year old boy from Democratic Republic of Congo was screened with high temperature and immediately rushed to Bwera Hospital.
But his relatives reacted angrily, attacking teams at the screening points, accusing them established “wrong” diagnosis.
Mr. Baghene suspects that the group could have masterminded the destruction of the centers.
Isaac Bwambale a member of Uganda Red Cross Society also explained that the relatives of the suspected case from the Democratic Republic of Congo hurled insults at the teams in protest of the referral.
Kasese Deputy Resident District Commissioner, Joshua Masereka told our reporter that the matter is being investigated.
Previously Congolese villagers hav attacked local Ebola response team, which was made up of village residents who were trained to carry out certain response activities.
Attacks on treatment centers by armed groups and mistrust among residents who view the disease as a conspiracy have become major impediments to containing Democratic Republic of Congo’s worst-ever Ebola outbreak.
World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says this was the sixth attack on health workers in the last eight days.
An Ebola Outbreak was declared in Kasese District on June 11, 2019, by the Ministry of Health after three cases were confirmed in the area.
