Parliament on Thursday (according to MP Nabilah Sempala) had this to say; “there will be no fooling around when it comes to fixing what it termed a “horrid” system that is in “an utter state of disrepair.”

We the MPs are willing to back up the truck to raid the state treasury if need be, waive whatever ministry of finance protections and constitutional hurdles if any, that get in the way and seek contempt-of-court citations against any Minister or any government bureaucrat who tries to thwart our efforts to rejuvenate Uganda’s medical system.

“We the MPs are on our way,”. “We’ll get medical care where medical care has to be, because we think we have the authority to do that over time. It’s just a monstrous path to get there.”
The hospitals have no medical personnel on board, and its general conditions, units are dilapidated! “That’s the kind of thing we are talking about.” There has to be a massive change of culture within the service delivery system in general and with medical care in particular. Ugandans need to be looked at as human beings, in addition to being patients.

“Not everybody in Uganda can afford private clinics”
Many needless deaths are not investigated! Altogether, some 65% of all deaths in Uganda occur needlessly in the hospital and health system every year.

“Those are mothers who perished because of either lack of access to care or, more horrifically, access to care,”!

We as parliament need to continue to work hand in hand with Ministry of Health in order to remedy all the problems in the medical system,”!

Thursday’s Budgets’ Statement left us saying that we will not be shy in exercising our receiver’s authority, especially when it comes to making sure we have enough money to get the job done.

“Something you must realize about money,” is we do have legislative appropriations to fund this. The power of parliament includes calling the ministry of finance, going to the budget committee — we’ve already worked out the arrangement — and taking the money, seizing the money, through a writ of execution. And if we have to do that, we will.”

The Writer is Kampala Woman MP

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