As @KagutaMuseveni rumps up #Uganda’s #COVID19 response, and now that Patient Zero has been reached it is a good time to speak to the state and cost of medical/clinical services and how to work with what we have (thread)
A major issue with public emergency responses put simply is asymmetry. Multiple Organisations working independently and badly coordinated causing a hemorrhage of resources and information. To bridge this gap @MinofHealthUG must receive full support to coordinate all agencies
This is more critical than the money invested in the #COVID19 response since many innovative approaches to dealing with cases will need non-medical partners and cooperation.
It is important for eg to bring in @NITAUgandaED @NITAUganda1 in formulating a technology based approach to distribution of medicines, provision of information about medical facilities and remote access now essential to dealing with #COVID19 cases under lockdown conditions
Citizens need especially now to know what is the nearest medical facility available to them and what protocols to follow, if they suspect an infection, so as to reduce contagion. This information can be provide directly thanks to mobile telephones
Technology has created great potential to conduct surveillance of active cases, build profiles of emerging trends in fast moving community spread of pandemics and should be properly integrated into the national response.
Last I checked out of the nearly $2bn in annual health expenditure in Uganda - half of is out of pocket expenses by everyday families paying for medical care (42.6% compared to 15% public resources and the rest by donors.
Essentially even in this current crisis the medical bill will he picked up by every day Ugandans. These costs are inflated by the outsize role of badly regulated private operators. Drug costs are high and specialist services out of the reach of most
Hopefully in the frame of this new threat @MinofHealthUG and its partners can guide families on how to meet their medical needs on top of the #COVID19 crisis. Ideally all medical assets should be known whether public or private
Providers including the corner pharmacy should register with the #COVID19 national response and act as an address for the clinical response in the event cases rise and overwhelm the preventive measures currently in place.
