Kampala’s national stadium, home of the national football team and Uganda’s premier athletics venue, has been deserted for several months by sports fans due to the pandemic.

But, the infrastructure is expected to get a new boost in the coming days as the government has decided to set up a field hospital there for coronavirus patients.

“By the end of July this place should be a hospital. The painting is taking place, we are doing the electrical connection, we are unblocking the sewage system, fixing new toilets, new taps and so on”, George Otim, Commissioner for health services at Ugandan Ministry of Health said.

The decision to turn Mandela Stadium into a field hospital comes at a time as Uganda fears a resurgence of infections. So far, a total of 939 cases have been reported in Uganda. The daily average is eight or nine cases.

“Looking at how people are behaving on the streets, anything can happen. Anything can happen, any time. And you know the spread of Corona it is like bush fire. So we are not going to sleep thinking that things are normal’‘, Otim added.

The field hospital should have 1,200 beds and will only receive patients with mild cases and asymptomatic patients.

AFP