Schools demand for Ebola guidelines

Schools have asked the government to fasten the release of school-based approach to fight Ebola within academic institutions across the country.

It has been two weeks after Ebola outbreak in the country but the Ministry of Health has not yet released guidelines on how heads of schools can protect both learners and teachers from the disease.

Ministry of Health officials last week said that it was developing special guidelines for schools, but two weeks down the road, schools heads still await guidelines from the health ministry.

The Chairperson of private educational institutions, Mr. Hasadu Kirabira said that schools cannot use the general guidelines being used by the public because learners are crowded in one place before calling for special schools’ Ebola response.

The Secretary General of Uganda National Teachers Union (UNATU), Filbert Baguma said that schools are currently using only temperature guns to monitor the temperature of learners because they do not know what to do.

Dr. Denis Mugimba, the Ministry OF Education spokesperson has revealed that Ebola is a health issue, adding that they also await communication from the Ministry of Health on the same.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health spokesperson, Mr. Emmanuel Ainebyona says the education focal person is still formulating the guidelines and the public should wait for communication from the permanent secretary.

Written by Damali Mukhaye