TrumpetNews last night (Tuesday) published a story indicating how a dead body of a person who succumbed to “acute respiratory syndrome”had been brought into the country from Doha aboard Qatar Airways.
For clarity “Acute Respiratory Syndrome” is an acute respiratory disease. As is SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) and MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome). All these 3 have an incurable common cold and are caused by Coronavirus.
In our Tuesday report, we further said the body had been intercepted at Entebbe Airport by Ministry of Health after establishing that the documents entailed showed that the person had died of COVID-19.
The story suggested that two entities; Aplus and Mengo Hospital had been involved in flying in the body to Uganda for burial.
Upon publication many stakeholders would rise to dispel the report as untrue until the Director General of Health Service Dr Henry Mwebesa issued a statement later acknowledging that indeed its correct a body of the person from Doha had died of “Acute Respiratory Syndrome” and therefore a crew of six members of Aplus and 2 family members of the deceased had been quarantined at Kayunga and Ministry of Health along with Red Cross took over the burial of this Ugandan.
This website has since dug deep to ascertain at what point did the 8 people (Aplus crew and relatives) get quarantined and how Red Cross got involved in the burial.
New Details
TrumpetNews has found out that after intercepting the body at Entebbe Airport, the Director General of Health Service Dr Henry Mwebesa instructed NAS formerly ENHAS which handles, screens and validates Cargo at Entebbe Airport to keep the body and the Ministry’s officials would take charge of the burial later Monday at the deceased’s native home in Kayunga.
However, officials at the Ministry were dismayed to learn that NAS had defied Dr Mwebesa’s orders and handed over the body to the deceased’s relatives early Monday morning.
“Our surveillance teams had to start tracking the movement of these people who had a body,” said a top official at Ministry of Health.
Surprisingly, the body was intercepted in Naggalama with 6 members of Aplus Funeral Services in a van registration number UBB 678A.
The other two members of the family were following the Aplus crew in a car UBD 116V
The Ministry of Health surveillance team impounded the van and it was taken to Naggalama Police Station on Kayunga Road.
Authorities immediately directed all the 8 people be quarantined at Kayunga Referral Hospital for 14 days.
The purpose of isolating these people hinges on the fact that the Coronavirus last for 9 days on wood. And since these people had come in contact with the coffin, chances remain high that they could have been infected.
“Ministry of Health and Red Cross took over ceremonies and accorded the deceased a dignified send off in Kayunga, the burial was strictly supervised by Ministry of Health commissioner,” Dr Mwebesa said in his earlier statement.
While on Twitter, the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary Diana Atwine said that government had refurbished a unit at Kayunga to be able to admit COVID-19 patients if any case arises. That is where the 8 people are isolated.
She also said investigations were underway on how the body left the airport for burial, adding that the law will take its course once they have the findings.
Mengo Hospital has since distanced its self from the COVID-19 dead body story saying, “we consider the allegations unfounded, alarmist, unprofessional and unfortunate. Ministry of Health has since come out to issue a statement clearing the air on the matter.”
