Africa-Press – Uganda. There was drama at Kyamuhunga town council, in Igara West Constituency, Bushenyi District on Monday when a group of residents stormed the offices with placards to express their displeasure with the current state of the health care system in the country.
Residents led by Mr Boaz Asiimwe said they chose to express their dissatisfaction to the government leadership in their reach so that the government can do what it takes to improve the ailing health care system.
“We chose to come here and meet the mayor so that he can also take our message. Government has neglected Covid-19 patients to perish in their homes on the home care based treatment, an indicator of poor planning and mismanagement of the health sector countrywide,” Asiimwe said.
“Recently, our fellow citizens in this town council were tested and sent back home and they are infecting more people. Why doesn’t the government take care of these patients to contain the spread of Covid disease?” he wondered.
The residents carried with them a document, which they wanted the town council mayor to receive and forward to the ‘higher’ offices.
“Since the emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic, we have seen the news awash with stories of inadequate hospitals, corrupt health officials stealing drugs and medical equipment, not forgetting the poor doctors and nurse whose pay can barely sustain their livelihoods. It is such a shame that government can be in power for more than 35 years and still have dysfunctional health care system marred with corruption and sheer lack of accountability,” the document reads in part
Mr Alex Kiiza, a bodaboda cyclist in Kyamuhunga town council said, “On the relief money, the government only considered people in urban centers, leaving out those in the rural areas. This money that is being misused should have instead been channeled to improve health institutions so that our people don’t die in their homes.”
He added it is the responsibility of all Ugandans and their representatives in Parliament to advocate for the transformation of the health care system.
Mr Evarist Ngabirano, the Kyamuhunga town council treasurer, one of the officials found at the sub county told the charged residents that their message was misplaced since they had flouted Covid-19 guidelines.
“First of all, the mayor is not around and so, I can’t take the message to him. But, you should understand that running a government is like running a family. You cannot provide all your family needs at once. You have to set priorities. So, government also has priorities,” Mr Ngabirano told the residents
Efforts to get a comment from the mayor, Mr Moses Bikanya, were futile as his known phones could not be reached.
