Members of Parliament on the Eastern Uganda Covid 19 Task force have learnt that some locals in Butaleja district sneak Covid 19 patients out of the hospital to witch doctors for treatment.
The MPs now want gov’t to increase sensitisation of the locals about the pandemic.
“People are going to the extent of exhuming corpses to perform rituals,” said Florence Nebanda, Butaleja district woman MP.
The MPs also discovered that Butaleja district is grappling with high teenage pregnancies. The Medical Superintendent Busolwe hospital, Ivan Wambi told the lawmakers that the facility handles over 20-30 antenatal visits, weekly for girls aged 13-17.
With the country fighting the second wave of Covid 19,Parliament instituted a 40-member Covid-19 task force to coordinate with the government to fight against the spread of coronavirus disease in communities.
The Deputy Speaker of Parliament Anita Among gave the teams two weeks to conduct sensitization and awareness programs to the masses on the prevention of Covid-19 and to assess the role of private sector healthcare providers in Covid-19 management challenges, gains, among others.
The parliamentary Covid-19 task force is headed by Bugweri county MP Abdul Katuntu, he is assisted by other five MPs including Dan Atwijukire (Kazo), Agnes Kunihira (Workers), Bernard Odoi (Youth- Eastern), Anna Adeke (Soroti Woman MP) and Dicksons Kateshumbwa (Sheema Municipality).
The regional parliamentary task forces are led by Dr Michael Bukenya (Bukuya) who is also heading the regional team from central Uganda, Dr Charles Ayume (Koboko Municipality) who is heading the team from northern Uganda, Dr Joseph Ruyonga (Hoima West Division) leads the western Uganda regional taskforce team while Dr Emmanuel Otaala (West Budama South) leads the eastern task force.