There is more to Busoga than jiggers - Migereko

By Titus Kakembo

JINJA –  The minister of lands, housing and urban development Daudi Migereko has condemned Ugandan media for blowing out of proportion the jigger and poverty issues in the region of Busoga.

The minister says local media try to link the eastern Uganda region’s issues with jiggers.

“We have had positive news in Busoga like the Source of the Nile being declared one of the seven wonders of the African continent, but our journalists will always find a way to put the jiggers in context,” he said.

This was at a Uganda Medical Association (UMA) meeting at Source of the Nile Hotel in Jinja recently.

Ugandan medical practitioners – including doctors and nurses – meet annually under their umbrella body (UMA) to discuss issues pertinent with their profession.

The highlights of such discussions include wages, accommodation, volume of work and much more.

During their meeting in Jinja, Minister Migereko, who is an area MP, said it was ideal for the district to host the convention because the region’s main hospital – Jinja Referral Hospital – lacks doctors.

But he speculated that regardless of Busoga hosting a meeting of such significance, the media would choose to focus on the negative – jiggers and poverty.

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PM Dr Ruhakana Rugunda (C) and Lands minister Daudi Migereko (R) attend the meeting. PHOTO/Titus Kakembo

The Ugandan health sector has often been thrown into the spotlight, with critics saying that health service delivery is still lacking.

The medical practitioners pointed out that in the past, people of their profession have been in the higher echelons of power, like Dr Specioza Kazibwe, Gilbert Bukenya – both former vice presidents – but that their problems have not been adequately addressed.

“But now that we have you as a Prime Minister, our concerns will be addressed,” UMA president Kenya Mugisha gestured towards Dr Ruhakana Rugunda who was the guest-of-honour at the meeting.

He went on to appeal to the Premier to give their concerns similar level of urgency as accorded to the Universal free Primary Education (UPE)  and the HIV fight.

On his part, Rugunda promised recruitment of more health workers. “I am dismayed over the underutilization of the Jinja Hospital Intensive care unit valued at sh5bn.

“Something will be done to decongest Mulago Hospital that shoulders the burden,” he quipped.