Following the outbreak of Conjunctivitis (Red eyes) in the country especially in Kampala during last week , the number of people getting infected increases everyday.
A patient suffering from Conjunctivitis.( Courtesy photo)
On Monday , More than 100 remand prisoners missed court sessions as they were in various prison isolation facilities for proper management of their cases.
These included those with cases at hearing , mentioning and judgement stages. As their cases were read in several courts, the prisons officers informed the trial judicial officers that the accused are in isolation facilities thus leading to adjournment of their cases.
Before the Utility Court under Buganda Road Chief Magistrates Court, relatives and friends of the accused were left stranded. “I came from Mayuge to stand as a surety for my brother whom I have been told that he is suffering from Red eyes. I don’t what next now because I have wasted almost all the money I had in transport.” Remarked a one Kisakye Gerald
According to the recent statistics from Uganda Prisons Authority, Conjunctivitis (red eyes) have been discovered in 10 of their facilities with 15.2 percent increase in the last 24 hours.
Eight out of nine cases are from the new remandees from Court with main infection areas being Makindye, Old Kampala, Pader Police and Kasanda Police station.
The total cumulative cases in the prison facilities are 1266, 948 Cumulative recoveries, 318 Active cases in isolation and 192 New cases have been registered today.
The Report by Uganda Prisons Health Services contends that the main challenges they are facing currently include; Low water supply, overcrowding in all prisons, low supply on medical supplies, isolated clusters of the outbreak and new cases from police
They have called upon the Health Ministry to support them with emergency logistical support as they urged all people to wash hands frequently with soap and water / chlorinated water and avoid touching or rubbing eyes
The red eyes outbreak in UPS started from the prisons of Kasanda and Kaweeri on the 26th of February 2024 when suspects having the subclinical form of the disease were remanded to these prisons.
These later developed symptoms and initiated the cascade of in custody spread of conjunctivitis within these prison sites.
Incidentally, within the same week, 59 prisoners were transferred to the prisons of Erute and Lira main hence spreading the infection to these sites.
At Luzira these cases were first registered among new admissions from Police Cells around Makindye Division, Kampala District.
Related
