Govt recommends new sanitising booth technology

A man passes through a sanitiser booth at Speke Apartments in Kampala yesterday. PHOTO | COURTESY 

By Tony Abet

Government has appealed to owners of hotels and public buildings across the country to install
sanitiser booth technology as measure to stop the spread of Covid-19.

Dr Joyce Moriku Kaducu, the Minister of State for Primary Healthcare, told Daily Monitor that the new technology is an effective way to sanitise visitors. The technology costs about Shs6m.

“It is a good innovation (especially for the hospitality industry). It sanitises the whole body unlike the usual ones (of sanitising only the hands),” Dr Moriku said.

“It sanitises the outside but does not kill the virus inside your body. Some people think that after passing through the tunnel and being sprayed, they are free from the virus,” she said.

Some hotels in Kampala have already installed the new technology as part of the concerted efforts to ensure safety of their clients.

Passing through a metal tunnel, a cold mist containing a disinfectant for killing the virus is sprayed on everyone accessing Speke Apartments in Wampewo, Kampala.

One takes a maximum of 15 seconds to get disinfected. The machine has several nozzles that oozes out misty fumes of the sanitiser all over the body.

Mr Sajeev Kulangarath, the general manager of the apartments, says this is a critical move to protect their guests and workers from contracting the deadly virus.

“It is an extra precaution against Covid-19 and people are appreciating. It is a new investment in the hospitality industry,” Mr Kulangarath said.

Kampala has a number of high profile hotels and restaurants which have been cleared to reopen after two months of lockdown. The hotels have been asked to maintain social distancing rules, and sanitise patrons and workers.