By Rodgers Omondi, Busia
Teso South MP Mary Emase has opposed plans by the Ministry of Health to use Alupe Sub-County Hospital as an Ebola isolation and quarantine centre, arguing that the facility plays a critical role in providing healthcare services to thousands of residents in Teso South and Teso Central sub-counties.
Speaking at Kochek Primary School in Teso South, Emase said the hospital should remain fully operational and urged the government to establish a separate quarantine facility away from the main hospital buildings.
“Alupe Hospital is the only sub-county hospital serving our people in Teso South and Teso Central. We are not going to accept any proposal or decision to use the facility as a quarantine centre. We cannot allow the suffering we went through during COVID-19 when the facility was closed down and turned into a quarantine centre,” she said.
The legislator called on the Ministry of Health to take advantage of the vast land available at Alupe and construct a dedicated quarantine facility that would not interfere with the delivery of healthcare services.
“We are at the border and faced with the danger of Ebola, but we are telling the Ministry of Health to construct a new centre away from the hospital to serve as a quarantine facility. Alupe has enough space that can be used for that purpose without disrupting services at the hospital,” she added.
Emase noted that residents are still concerned about the possibility of the hospital being converted into a quarantine centre, recalling the challenges experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. She said many patients were forced to travel long distances to seek treatment at Busia County Referral Hospital after services at Alupe were scaled down.
“During COVID-19, people seeking health services suffered a lot when the facility was turned into a quarantine centre. The community around the hospital also faced stigma, and leaders had to conduct awareness campaigns to restore public confidence in the facility,” she said.
The MP further said residents are worried by reports of Ebola cases in neighboring Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo but assured them that efforts are being made to ensure essential health services remain accessible.
Her sentiments come at a time when health authorities in Busia County have intensified surveillance and preparedness measures due to the county’s strategic location along the Kenya-Uganda border.
Busia County Director of Public Health and Sanitation Joseph Oprong confirmed that an isolation centre has already been identified at Alupe Hospital and that experts are currently assessing and equipping the facility to ensure it is ready to handle any suspected Ebola cases.
“We are already assessing our isolation centre at Alupe and have experts carrying out the exercise. They are also assessing the quarantine facilities so that in case we detect any case, we are prepared to respond quickly. We have instructed them to ensure the assessment and equipping process is completed as soon as possible,” said Oprong.
