By Rogers Wanambwa 

KIU, Main Campus - Dr Diana Atwine, the Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Health yesterday confirmed that results of the two suspected COVID-19 patients who died at Lacor hospital in Gulu district turned out negative.

Lacor Hospital management on April 27 revealed that they received three patients that presented with signs similar to those of COVID-19.

“Unfortunately two of the patients passed on yesterday. These two patients were referrals from other neighbouring health facilities and came with other underlying diseases. They reached the hospital in a very critical condition,” the hospital management had earlier said.

The Ministry of Health took samples of the deceased for testing at Uganda Virus Research Institute.

“The samples are negative, according to what we have been informed. I don’t know what the circumstances of their death were. Maybe the people on ground in Gulu have the information on whether the deceased had othee underlying problems, ” Atwine said.

The two deaths that occured on Sunday were of a 59-year-old Kenyan truck driver and an 18-year-old female who was admitted at the hospital.

The 59-year-old was referred from the Elegu border post in Amuru district while the 18-year-old woman was also admitted to the isolation ward on Saturday.

She was reportedly referred to Lacor hospital from Abee Hospital in Oyam district after she was diagnosed with severe pneumonia.

Uganda has so far recorded 79 cases of COVID -19 with 52 recoveries and no deaths.