Legislator introduces health insurance

The Rukungiri Municipality MP, Rolland Mugume Kaginda, has introduced health insurance fund in his constituency to help people treating chronic diseases like cancer, diabetes and blood pressure.

Mugume said this on Monday during a funeral service of Stephen Besigye, a Forum for Democratic Change stalwart at Kitimba ward, Rukungiri Municipality. Besigye succumbed to prostate cancer.

Health scheme

Kaginda said his office had embarked on a strategy of supporting sick people to get treatment than supporting their burial.

He said he has sh126m startup capital which he contributed with some traders from Rukungiri municipality.

"This is not political at all as diseases do not have any political affiliation. I met with a couple of traders and we managed to collect sh126m to start up the fund which has already helped one of the members. We helped Bosco Kamiro to transport his child to India for heart surgery," he said.

He said the fund will be owned by the people so that even when he is no longer an MP, it continues.

He said each family was required to contribute a minimum of sh100,000 annually which he said most people are responding to it positively.

"Those who are in the Government or famous have a chance of being airlifted to Kampala or abroad whenever they are sick. We must have our own means of getting better healthcare whenever we also get sick," he said. He urged people to test for prostate and cervical cancer early enough, saying it can be treated when detected in its early stage at low cost.

Kaginda said most of the country's budget is spent on ministers and other official's trips abroad when we cannot purchase a machine for treating cancer. He added that most of the best surgeons in India and South Africa are Ugandans, yet patients pay a lot of money to access for treatment. He attributed the brain drain to poor motivation of healthworkers who opt to go abroad for greener pastures.

Kaginda said Uganda has about 175 active surgeons, while Tanzania after reducing international trips for their officials have attracted over 1,800 surgeons to work in their country.

About Besigye

RIP: Stephen Besigye

The western division chairperson, John Kashobera, said they have lost a big pillar in the division who has been on health management and court committees in the division.

The Nyakagyeme archdeacon, Rev. Canon David Kahindi, described late Besigye as a hardworking man, God-fearing person and one who always spoke the truth.

"This man used to stick to his point up to the end. He would tell a candidate the truth that he cannot give him/her a vote and he gives the reason and you would not convince him at all," he said.

Stephen Besigye, who died at age of 75, is survived by two wives, Mable and Joy Besigye and nine children. He served as Police and army officer from 1972 to 1979 before he turned to farming at his home up to the time of his death.