Among issued the directive on Thursday afternoon during the plenary session. She gave the committee chaired by Koboko Municipality MP, Charles Ayume one month to report back to Parliament.
The Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among has tasked the House
Committee on Health to carry out field visits to government health facilities
across the country to ascertain the state they are in.
Among issued the directive on Thursday during the plenary session. She gave
the committee chaired by Koboko Municipality MP, Charles Ayume one month to
report back to Parliament.
She said that the report should enable parliament to ascertain the budgetary
needs involved to upgrade the available health centres.
//Cue in: “I am giving…
Cue out:…of that constituency.”//
Among’s directive followed queries by a section of MPs about the absence of key
health services at different health centres and referral hospitals in the
countryside.
Abubaker Kawalya, the Rubaga North MP said that Kampala Capital City has only
three ambulances, an indication that several health centres do not have a single
ambulance.
He informed parliament that government is yet to buy more ambulances despite a
resolution passed by Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) for Kampala to have
a total of 10 ambulances with two in each division.
//Cue in: “Madam Speaker through…
Cue out:…at the moment.”//
Christine Ndiwalana, the Bukomansimbi North MP said that there are no basic
medicines at the health centres in her constituency. She demanded that the
Minister of Health explains the absence of medicines and failure to upgrade the
available health centres.
//Cue in: “referring to national…
Cue out:..only with panadol.”//
Melsa Naima Avako, the Yumbe Woman MP raised concern that some of the regional
referral hospitals that were recently upgraded by the government also lack
adequate budgets to operate.
//Cue in: “I would like…
Cue out:…services being provided.”//
Norah Bigirwa, the Buliisa Woman MP said that Buliisa Hospital which was
recently elevated from Health Center IV lacks infrastructure for a hospital
standard.
//Cue in: “Madam Speaker we…
Cue out:…to Buliisa hospital.”//
Earlier on, the State Minister for Health-General Duties, Anifa Kawooya had
been told to explain why there are no hospital and transport services in Terego
district. Kawooya said that Terego was a new district that started
operating in the previous financial year 2020/2021 with several infrastructure
yet to be put in place.
However, the Deputy Speaker Among told the State Minister that a district being
new was not an excuse. She tasked State Minister Kawooya to explain where
Ugandans in those new districts are expected to get the required health
services.
Kawooya then committed to providing Parliament with a report on the measures
put in place by the government to ensure that districts without hospitals are
catered for in the budget.
