The long awaited prayer for Ugandan domestic workers stuck in Saudi Arabia to be repatriated seems to have been answered after the government of Uganda, through the Ministry of Health, finalised arrangements to help them return home.
The 300 are mostly domestic workers who entered Saudi Arabia illegally and are currently held in deportation centers, while others do not have funds to survive in the country, yet others tested positive for COVID-19 and want to return home but have no means to do so.
This comes days after the Permanent Secretary for the health ministry, Dr. Diana Atwine informed the parliamentary committee on Government Assurances that the Saudi government asked Uganda to clear a flight for its nationals or it would put them on a plane with or without the clearance from Uganda.
Atwine said the health ministry was under pressure to clear the group’s return yet the country had already received more than the 300 returnees as agreed initially for better management of suspects and patients.
The country currently has 972 returnees in institutional quarantine, out of the 2,154 who have arrived since June 22nd, 2020.
However, the government has now cleared the return of the group from Saudi Arabia.
Ambassador Patrick Mugoya, the Permanent Secretary ministry of Foreign Affairs, says that the flight has been organised by the Saudi government.
He however says that the ministry will stick to its schedule for repatriation flights, whereby returnees must foot costs of air fares and also quarantine for those who opt for private facilities.
The schedule shows that the next repatriation flights will take place from August 2nd, after the latest batch of 1,105 arrived from July 18th to July 24th from North and South America. West Africa, Middle East and other locations.
The ministry of health has now arranged beds for the 300 Ugandans at Mandela National Stadium, Namboole to undergo institutional quarantine. This is because the 3 public facilities at Mulago Paramedical School, Fisheries Institute and Lands and Survey are fully occupied. The three facilities have a total room capacity of 250 beds.
Dr. Richard Mugahi, the National Coordinator for Quarantine at the health ministry, says makeshift wards have been arranged in the three halls at Mandela National stadium to accommodate at least 1,000 people. Currently, 17 returnees are undergoing quarantine at Mandela National stadium.
