BBC News 24 April
Uganda is grappling with how to reduce coronavirus infections among cross-border truck drivers who account for most of the new cases being reported in the country.
President Yoweri Museveni has advised the drivers not to touch each other so as to stop the spread of the virus. His advise comes as the number of foreign truck drivers who have tested positive reached 11, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 74.
Mr Museveni said that his health minister was in discussions with her Kenyan and Tanzanian counterparts to find a solution to the new threat to the country's Covid-19 fight.
The president said among the issues to be discussed is for the drivers to be tested and wait for results before starting their journeys.
Mr Museveni also said that the ministers were discussing driving relays - where a driver hands over the truck to a local on arrival at the border.
The president said stopping trucks from coming was impossible as Uganda is a landlocked country and the economy would suffer.
KUMI COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
Excerpt from email from Harriet 24 April 2020.
"I remember Wilson the one we met from wheels (WFTW). Yesterday was a very fortunate day for him. I actually was at hospital and found he had been discharged. I managed to clear his bill of 2,812,300/- . I got Peter to transport him back home that costed 50,000/- for fuel and bought for him to assorted items gauze, gloves and Vaseline to continue managing the wounds at home that costed 88,000/- . Attached are his photos and his wounds. They looked clean. Dr Lazarus said he had many and could not skin graft them".
The pressure sores, caused by his paraplegia, means he has no sensation in the lower part of his body so he does not experience pain but the sores become infected and Wilson's were deep enough for the bone to be visible and very infected. Now, the sores are reducing and look healthy and so he has returned home after hospital discharge.
KCF enabled all costs to be paid as well as providing the family with gauze, gloves and Vaseline to enable continuing care and dressings. It surprises me that, when youngsters like Wilson return home, the sores can actually heal but we will need to keep in contact. I have not included photos of the sores as they are disturbing.
The included photos show the hand sanitiser for the hospital staff, the items for the wound dressings, Wilson on the day he was given his wheelchair from Wheels for the World and then photos of him on the ward and in the vehicle ready to go home. I find it disturbing that this isn't the cheerful boy we met in February.
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