Medics list options to fight Covid third wave

 

By:Admin

Kampala

As the country gears up for partial reopening after 42 days of lockdown, doctors under their umbrella organisation, the Uganda Medical Association (UMA), have listed six options that government should undertake to prepare for the third wave of Covid-19, which is expected to hit the country within the next three to six months.

The doctors say the government should make it a point to complete the vaccination of the targeted 21.9 million Ugandans in the next six months.

“Without Covid vaccination, another round of mass cases and deaths will be inevitable, investment in strict observance of the standard operating procedures (SOPs), infection prevention and control measures and cases will help reduce this,” the doctors said in a statement issued on Friday by the President of UMA, Dr Richard Idro.

Uganda has administered at least 1.1 million doses of vaccines. However, the country has been depending on donations, citing global shortage of vaccines which has delayed the vaccination process.

According to UMA, there is need to boost the health system capacity such as provision of enough personal protective equipment (PPE), establish Intensive Care Units (ICU) and High Dependency  Unit (HDU) in all regional referral hospitals.

The medics noted that during this second wave, some patients died due to lack of oxygen, HDU and ICU beds as ambulances queued in hospital parking lots.

UMA states that the only functional public ICUs with the ability to offer ventilation to critically-ill patients are in Mulago and Mbarara hospitals. That, he says, explains why a highly trained paediatrician, Dr Milly Grace Arach, died after failing to get admitted into an ICU in Gulu.

Recommendations

1. Vaccinate 21.9 in next six months

2. Build treatment capacity-Establish ICUs and HDUs in regional referrals, provision of enough PPEs and oxygen, etc.

3. Employ, care for and pay health workers well

4. Educate the public on home-based care.

5. Improve health infrastructure to manage other illnesses as well, assent to the National Health Insurance scheme.

6. Establish discussions on school reopening, restructuring of learning.

Buganda will not stop demanding for property, federal - Kabaka

 

By:Admin

Kampala

Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II has said Buganda Kingdom will not relent in its push for a federal system of governance and demand for property still being held by the central government.

Speaking at his 28th coronation anniversary ceremony at Nkoni Palace in Lwengo District Saturday, the Kabaka said both his cabinet and Lukiiko (Parliament) have  been consistent in demanding for what belongs to the kingdom through negotiations and will continue to use the same avenue to achieve their goal.
“For the last 28 years, we have been at the forefront of demanding for justice, federal, land and our buildings. These and other things, we call them Ebyaffe,” he said.
“Í want to emphasize this, we shall not relent in our quest for Ebyaffe through negotiations as we have done in the past.”

In 2013, government and Buganda Kingdom signed a Memorandum of Understanding which the former agreed to return all kingdom property which were confiscated after the 1966 Buganda crisis but a year later when handing over some of the title deeds to Buganda Kingdom officials, President Museveni warned the kingdom against evicting tenants who have over the years occupied her land and buildings. Although some of the properties like Bulange (official kingdom seat), Mengo Palace, have since been returned to the kingdom others such as land occupied by Makindye Military Barracks, Kigo Prison, Mengo Court are yet to be handed over by government whose rent arrears had accumulated to Shs215.8 billion by April.

The Kabaka also castigated people who are pushing for the abolition of Mailo land tenure system, which is mainly in Buganda, saying they are bent on weakening the kingdom.
He said some kingdom critics were portraying Buganda as an institution that is not accommodative yet all people regardless of their cultural backgrounds, have peacefully settled in Buganda over the years. 

“For those who want to scrap Mailo land their goal is to weaken Buganda. This prompts us to ask, why land in other parts of Uganda is not talked about. Why Buganda land?” he said 
Mr Charles Peter Mayiga, the kingdom Katikkiro (prime minister), said prior to the enactment of the Land Act  1998, Buganda had advised that government implements the Busuulu and Envujjo law of 1928 which protected rights of both landlords and tenants but their proposal was never considered.

“When Mailo land is abolished as being suggested in some quarters, one of the key pillars on which this kingdom was built will be destroyed. You parliamentarians who are here should know this; Buganda has never failed to discuss this (land) issue. We are ready to sit and show you how best land wrangles can better be resolved,” he said 
The head of clan leaders (Bataka), Mr Augustine Kizito Mutumba had earlier reported to the Kabaka that there was rampant duplication of land titles which he said has deprived many people in Buganda of their land rights.