Nabbanja asks public to guard donated equipment

HEALTH   VIRUS

State minister for health in charge of general duties Robinah Nabbanja has urged the public to take the lead role in managing donated health equipment and facilities to prolong their (equipment's) life span.

Nabbanja made the call while launching Water Mission Uganda (WMU)'s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. WMU was responding to President Yoweri Museveni's call for support to government from different entities and individuals.

WMU, an affiliate of Water Mission International is a non-profit Christian engineering ministry that provides safe and clean water solutions to needy communities and institutions in Uganda.

WMU has mobilised resources to a tune of $450,000 (about sh1.66 billion) towards supporting 13 districts with public and household handwashing facilities in a bid to contain the spread of coronavirus.

"To date, we have installed 741 public handwashing facilities, 9,500 tippy taps for households to enhance the handwashing practice which is a very critical strategy for COVID-19 prevention," Eng. Tom Kisubi, WMU's country director said.

The handwashing facilities, according to Kisubi, have been installed in selected health facilities, public offices, water points and high traffic areas like markets in the districts of Jinja, Mayuge, Luuka, Kamuli, Buyende, Namayingo, Buikwe, Iganga, Kiryandongo, Arua, Madi-Okolo, Yumbe and Zombo.

"I call upon the user communities through local leadership to take lead in maintaining these facilities the one year the donor is to be around," Nabbanja said.

"We plan to ensure that these facilities are maintained for the next year. We shall provide soap as we engage with local leaders over plans to manage them after," Kisubi said.

This, Kisubi explained, is in a bid to create awareness about the importance of the projects, something that will make the facilities viable in the long run.