The MPs, who are on the nationwide tour to assess covid-19 management capacities in health facilities and local governments, noted that the response teams are finding difficulties to effectively operate with conditioned financial releases.
Members of the Parliament Covid-19 task force want restrictions eased
on funds sent to support covid-19 activities in local governments.
The MPs, who are on the nationwide tour to assess covid-19
management capacities in health facilities and local governments, noted that
the response teams are finding difficulties to effectively operate with conditioned
financial releases.
While interacting with Covid-19 taskforces in the districts of
Kyotera and Rakai, the MPs were told that conditioned financial transfer is
partly crippling response operations in districts and health facilities.
Doctor Edward Muwanga, the Kyotera District Health Officer says
the taskforces are having limited options on what to spend the money on, yet
they have a wide range of demands that are not fully catered for in the
conditions attached to the finances.
He explains that while their main priorities would be to
facilitate health workers to regularly follow-up on patients under home-based
care management, providing personal protective gears and facilitating timely
patients’ referrals, the funds are committed to other things.
Hajji Moses Ddumba, the Kyotera Resident District Commissioner and
Chairperson of the district Taskforce, said that they are allowed to spend the
funds based on the respective demands they are faced with, and later provide
accountability.
//Cue in; (Luganda)
“naddala mu kaseera kano….
Cue out; ……eby’etagisa obitwalayo.”//
Michael Kakembo, the Entebbe Municipality MP indicates that their
task force has noted the conditions as a serious impediment that needs to be
removed to facilitate effective responses and management of the Covid-19
situations.
He says that they are going to engage the concerned authorities at
the Ministries of Health to reconsider the conditions and have the Covid-19
response funds dispensed by district taskforces depending on their needs.
//Cue in: “batunyonyodde nti…..
Cue out: ……afire mu kyalo.”//
Fortunate Rose Nantongo,
the Kyotera District Woman MP says their fact-finding mission is intended to
identify and advise on appropriate approaches of overcoming the underlying
challenges to Covid-19 management.
In the recent supplementary budget considered by the cabinet, district
taskforces are meant to receive another batch of 260 million shillings to
coordinate Covid-19 response activities in their areas.
Last month, 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 team will be charged with
representing parliament to the national task force and coordinating the overall
interventions of the regional parliamentary taskforce teams.
