DATE=12/14/00

TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT

NUMBER=5-48533

TITLE=UGANDA DOCTOR / EBOLA

BYLINE=SCOTT STEARNS

DATELINE=NAIROBI

CONTENT:

VOICED AT:

INTRO: An outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus in Uganda has killed more than 160 people in recent weeks, including a Ugandan doctor whose hospital was at the center of the Ebola "hot zone." V-O-A's Scott Stearns, who traveled to Uganda to report on the virus outbreak, reports on the life of this devoted physician.

TEXT: Dr. Mathew Lukwiya was one of the first to notice the "strange disease" sweeping through his community in northern Uganda, and now he is one of its victims.

/// ACT 1 LUKWIYA ///

The hospital that reported the first case was this hospital, Lacor Hospital in Gulu. And when I came back to this hospital on the 7th of October, we found there was one of our nursing students ... on his dying bed, and one had already died a week earlier. So the symptoms were very suggestive of viral hemorrhagic fever.

/// END ACT ///

Dr. Lukwiya was born in Gulu 41 years ago. He served as superintendent of Lacor Hospital instead of practicing medicine outside Uganda or even working in the capital, Kampala. On average, there is one doctor for every 18-thousand Ugandans, so running a rural health center is a constant struggle.

Suspecting the worst in the deaths of his nurses, Dr. Lukwiya called Uganda's Health Ministry. The government called the World Health Organization, which sent in, among others, Dr. Guenael Rodier, director of the W-H-O's department of communicable diseases.

/// RODIER ACT ///

We know we are dealing with a hemorrhagic fever, which is documented to be Ebola viral hemorrhagic fever. So now the step is simply to make sure that in the field, the proper action is taken to control the outbreak.

/// END ACT ///

/// SFX: HOSPITAL SOUND--SNEAK IN & FADE UNDER ///

"In the field" mostly meant the isolation wards of Gulu, where W-H-O brought in protective equipment for what they call "barrier nursing." That meant that Dr. Lukwiya's staff now had gowns, goggles and new rubber boots. They sprayed each other with disinfecting chlorine mist going in and out of the isolation wards.

Despite the new measures, the hemorrhagic fever claimed a third nursing student in Gulu. There were calls for the Health Ministry to withdraw trainee staff from areas infected by the virus. Dr. Lukwiya knew his staff was worried.

/// ACT 2 LUKWIYA ///

They have practical experience because we lost three nursing students in this hospital, and this gave a lot of shock to the hospital staff. It took us daily meetings - updating them, showing them the protective methods, demonstrating, providing it in the wards where they are taking care of this sick, to build up their confidence and then also to stick together with them. There has been no one who has run away from the hospital.

/// END ACT ///

The patient load at Lacor continued to rise as more cases came in from rural areas. Dr. Lukwiya quickly established two isolation wards - one for those in the later stages of Ebola, the other for those suspected but not yet diagnosed, so as not to increase their possible exposure to the virus.

/// ACT 3 LUKWIYA ///

We expect the numbers to rise before they will start falling again. For viral hemorrhagic fever, [if] you have got one case that is confirmed, that is already an epidemic.

/// END ACT ///

As more patients died at Lacor, so did more student nurses. Some staff went on strike, demanding "risk allowances" for their time in the isolation wards. /// OPT /// In a disease transmitted by contaminated body fluids, there are a lot of fluids to clean up (from vomit and diarrhea). A patient in the final stages of the virus may bleed from the mouth, eyes, ears and anus. /// END OPT ///

It was during this period of short staffing at Lacor that it is believed Dr. Lukwiya contracted the virus. He died and was quickly buried last Tuesday at his own hospital, attended to the end by Italian Dr. Andrea Gaitano.

/// OPT /// When Dr. Gaitano then returned to work at his (Hoima) hospital, medical staff fled because they feared he had been infected. The Italian doctor will now be monitored in his home for 21 days.

Dr. Lukwiya's death was the 15th among medical staff in Gulu. He is the only doctor on a list with 12 nurses, a medical assistant and an ambulance driver.

As superintendent, Dr. Lukwiya knew the risks of staying at Lacor. He said going through this outbreak would better prepare Uganda's medical community for prevention of another outbreak in the future.

/// ACT 4 LUKWIYA ///

Once bitten, I think we will be twice shy. And I think for me and the hospital staff, [this] has been a big experience in which they are now going to review all safety methods and really keep the minimum precautions, [so] that we will not have an epidemic entering again.

/// END ACT /// /// END OPT ///

Pope John Paul sent a condolence message to Gulu. The U-S Centers for Disease Control announced two annual "Dr. Mathew Lukwiya Fellowships." Uganda's government praised him as a "pillar of the health service" and "an example of total devotion to medicine."

Dr. Lukwiya is survived by a wife and five children. (Signed)

NEB/SS/GE/WTW