Uganda’s national referral hospital, Mulago, says it has received an unprecedented number of Covid-19 patients as the country battles a second wave of the pandemic.
The hospital’s deputy executive director, Dr Rosemary Byanyima, says the hospital has received 40 patients in the last 24 hours alone.
Many of them are either severe or critically ill patients.
The sharp spike created a queue of ambulances as patients were being brought in from other hospitals while others were transported in private vehicles.
The development comes as the health ministry recorded over 1,000 Covid-19 cases in a day on 1 June.
This is the highest infection figure in the country so far since the start of the pandemic.
Mulago hospital had reserved 200 beds for Covid-19 patients and 190 people are currently admitted with more than three-quarters of them in the high dependency unit.
Ms Byanyima says there are plans to create more bed space by moving non-Covid patients to the old wing of the hospital.
Only a week ago, 29 schools throughout the country reported coronavirus cases putting in doubt the government’s planned reopening of lower primary classes in July.
One institution, Kyambogo University, suspended physical learning after results of six students turned out positive.
President Yoweri Museveni is expected to address the country this weekend on the government’s response to this second wave of the pandemic.
