KAMPALA – Authorities in Kakumiro District have stepped up the hunt for a Covid 19 positive patient who has gone into hiding.
The man is among the 16 confirmed cases from 3,455 samples tested on Wednesday June 24.
The Kakumiro Resident District Commissioner Apollo Mugume on Thursday narrated that the victim who had come from Kasese with intentions of starting an non governmental organization in Kakumiro town council was last week subjected to a test by picking his nasal swab samples after the taskforce got suspicious.
After taking his samples, the victim chose to self-quarantine. However, Mugume said that the taskforce is now hunting for him.
‘‘We are currently hunting the first case that came from Kasese to start an NGO in Kakumiro but we were suspicious and took his samples. Results have come back and are indicating that he is positive,’’ Mugume said.
He added that the victim has put off his telephone contacts, something which is making it hard to trace him. He calls upon community members who might have come into contact with him to offer themselves voluntarily for testing.
‘‘We have been speaking to him on the phone but he is no longer picking calls. We urge all people who might come across him or those who know where he is to come out and help us. We also call upon the general public members who might have come into contact with him to come for voluntary testing,’’ Mugume added.
However, the Kasese District Surveillance Officer, Mr. Samuel Kabinga on Friday called upon the residents in Kasese who interacted with Mr Tom Bwambale to come out to their local council chairpersons and give their contacts and then the health workers should go and access them.
“If you know that you interacted with Tom Bwambale, come up and give your contacts for help because voluntary check is the best now” Kabinga said.
Mr. Kabinga noted that the case is a resident of Mumbuzi cell in Nyakasanga II ward, Kasese town but he was tested in Kakumiro district on June 17, his whereabouts were not known but his samples were taken as a high risk traveler.
“I received a call yesterday from Kakumiro that his results tested positive yesterday. I alerted security and for the whole night we have been tracing for him until today morning (Friday) when we found him at Muyenga (an uptown residential area of Kasese town), we have taken him to Bwera hospital as we wait for (Fort Portal) regional referral hospital for treatment” Kabinga said.
He said that he was working with his colleagues in Kakumiro to reach out to his contacts as Kasese too does the same.
It is alleged that he is a driver, who has been delivering road construction equipment in the region.
