The Government has been asked to ban misleading health adverts by alleged quack doctors.  

Senior presidential advisor on Buganda affairs Robert Ssebunya says there is a need to discourage people from seeking health services from quack doctors and traditional birth attendants.

Ssebunya made the call during a meeting organised by the Greater Kampala Service Delivery lobby group at Speke Hotel in Kampala on Sunday, March 19, 2023.

He said he grew up knowing health professionals are forbidden to advertise their services, but wondered why it is happening now.

According to Ssebunya several adverts by alleged quack doctors claim they can cure all diseases, which he said is a lie and, therefore, dangerous to the people.

The lobby group meeting, headed by Uganda's Deputy High Commissioner to South Africa, Kintu Nyago, was meant to lobby the Government to construct a 300-bed capacity hospital in Rubaga division.

He reasoned that Rubaga should get a government hospital as it's the only division among five divisions without one.

“It’s the idea we support for the good of our people so that they don’t go to Butambala to seek a cure from traditional healers,” Sebunya said.

Ambassador Kintu Nyago (left) speaking during the meeting of members of the Greater Kampala Service Delivery Lobby. Photo by Francis Emorut

The lobby group argued that the Rubaga residents are urban poor people who cannot afford private hospitals and, therefore, a need for the government hospital, which offers free services as well as a subsidised rate that the people can afford.

Nyago said the reason Rubaga requires a government hospital is to save people from trekking long distances to seek health services in other hospitals.

Wasswa Lule, the son of former president Yusuf Kironde Lule, said the advantage of having a government hospital in Rubaga is that the people will access health services easily rather than going to private hospitals where they are going to pay more money.

“Private hospitals are not subsidised. We still need a government hospital which provides free service,” Lule said.

He cited private hospitals which he accused of charging exorbitant fees during the COVID-19 pandemic and that some detained patients over failure to pay medical bills.

The former Katikkiro of Buganda Kingdom Eng. JB Walusimbi also advocated for having a government hospital saying the government maintains high standards of health services and employs competent personnel to provide health services.

He said he was ready to offer engineering services when the construction of the hospital starts.

Rubaga division Resident City Commissioner Herbert Burora said the division is highly populated like other divisions.

“Having a government hospital in Rubaga Division could be of advantage to the people. Its population is big and Rubuga is more of a residential area compared to the central business district. Having a hospital that responds to the needs of people is a welcome idea,” Burora said.