Lugari residents have been urged to stop stigmatizing people who’ve been placed in quarantine in the ongoing fight against the Covid-19.
Speaking during a health stakeholders meeting held in Lumakanda, the area Sub county
Medical Officer of Health (MOH) Dr. Patrick Ndambuki said stigmatization has remained a big challenge in fighting the virus.
He called on the public to refrain from stigma and discrimination surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, saying stigma and discrimination on people who are under quarantine might deter more people from going for checkups, which might be catastrophic.
“There have been several cases of stigmatization against people in quarantine within the sub county. Building stigma is incredibly bad and it can drive individuals to hide illnesses in order to avoid discrimination. It can prevent people from seeking healthcare. This is the time for solidarity against the virus but not time for stigmatization,” said Dr. Ndambuki.
He said being under quarantine doesn’t mean that one is positive with the deadly virus but it’s just a preventive measure to curb the possibility of spreading the virus in case he or she tests positive.
He added that even those who test positive, should be shown love and care saying testing positive isn’t a death sentence.
“We have seen over 300 people who tested positive being discharged after successfully undergoing treatment, so let us show love to those in quarantine and welcome back those who have recovered from the disease without discriminating against them. They are our brothers, they are our sisters we should show them love and care,” said Dr. Ndambuki.