Tanzanian doctor killed by Ebola in Uganda as virus escalates
Dr Ali is the first doctor, and second health worker to have succumbed to Ebola. The first was a midwife from St Florence Clinic, a probable case because she died before testing.
The Minister for Health, Dr Jane Ruth Aceng Ocero, announced Saturday morning that the Ebola Virus Disease had killed Dr Mohammed Ali, a Tanzanian national.
Dr Ali, 37, died Saturday morning, at 3:15 am, at Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital Isolation facility (JMedic) where he was receiving treatment after he tested positive for Ebola on Sept 26, 2022.
“Dr Ali is the first doctor, and second health worker to have succumbed to Ebola. The first was a midwife from St Florence Clinic, a probable case because she died before testing,” Dr Aceng said.
“I condole with his family, medical fraternity, Kampala International University and the people of Tanzania,” she added.
On 20 September 2022, the health authorities in Uganda declared an outbreak of Ebola caused by the Sudan virus (SUDV), after a case was confirmed in a village of Madudu sub-county in Mubende district, central Uganda.
Ebola has since spread to other districts like Kagadi, Kassanda and Kyegegwa where the surviving victims of the deadly virus continue to be hospitalized.
On Friday, Dr Aceng reported that they had discharged two survivors of Ebola at Mubende Regional Referral Hospital. Unfortunately, the minister said, one of the recovered patients lost his wife and child to Ebola.
Also on Friday, the Ministry of Health deployed a mobile lab in Mubende regional referral Hospital to support Ebola virus testing for the region to reduce the turnaround time of results.
The Ministry of Health Friday morning reported a confirmed case of Ebola in Kagadi district, central Uganda. The ministry’s Senior Public Relations Officer, Emmanuel Ainebyoona, said the victim was a 23-year-old.
Kagadi becomes the fourth district to have a confirmed Ebola case after Mubede where it was first reported; Kyegegwa and Kassanda followed. Ainebyoona revealed that as of September 29 2022, the cumulative confirmed cases stood at 35.
Meanwhile, Dr Aceng and the Minister of State General Duties Jennifer Kawoya were in Kassanda and Kyegegwa attending district task force meetings.
In Kassanda, Dr Aceng directed district leaders to return the vehicles donated during the COVID-19 pandemic to their core use of surveillance.
“These vehicles are not for attending workshops and conferences,” she said.
The ministry also oriented over 60 Religious leaders from the Church of Uganda Mityana diocese (Mityana, Mubende, Kasanda, Kiboga and Kyankwanzi) on Ebola Virus Disease risk communication.
