By Our Reporter
NSSF has donated 5,000 Coronavirus (COVID-19) testing kits worth over Ushs 381 million shillings to the Ministry of Health, of which Ushs 60 million has been contributed voluntarily by individual NSSF employees.
Procurement is being undertaken in conjunction with the Uganda Virus Research Institute and delivery of the kits is expected in the next few days.
NSSF Managing Director Richard Byarugaba said that the Fund is responding to a call by the Government and health experts that testing for the coronavirus is one of the most important steps in combating the spread.
“Our decision to donate testing kits is informed by the model Government is employing in combating the coronavirus, which is an emphasis on testing as many suspected cases as possible, as well as their contacts. In addition, the World Health Organisation has also emphasised the need to escalate testing,” Byarugaba said.
“Given the advice from health experts, a significant number of people who test positive for Coronavirus are asymptomatic. It is therefore obvious that there is a critical need to test as many suspected cases as possible in Uganda to control the spread of the disease,” he added.
The Minister of Health Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng appreciated the Fund for supporting Government efforts and responding to the call and underscored the need for enhancement of Uganda’s coronavirus testing capacity.
“We are taking a comprehensive approach in the fight against Coronavirus. But we recognise that in order to stop transmission of the disease, we have to test and treat those infected. Testing allows us to quickly know who has contracted disease,” she said.