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Experts divided on Covid testing for officials meeting Museveni
A health worker takes a sample from a man in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic in Uganda. PHOTO/FILE
What you need to know:
- Since the outbreak of the virus in the country in 2020, there are 170, 602 confirmed cases of Covid-19 and 3,632 deaths, according to data from the Health Ministry. At least 26,406,936 vaccine doses have also been administered.
Health policy and governance specialists are divided on whether the government should stop spending the limited public resources to test officials attending events or meetings involving President Museveni for Covid-19.
This follows concerns raised by Opposition legislators, who said the tests were wasting resources.
In an interview with Daily Monitor yesterday, Dr Peter Waiswa, an Associate Professor of Health Policy Planning and Management at Makerere University School of Public Health, said the tests are not useful.
“I think it has been overdone for a long time. And as they have already found out, even with that practice, the President got Covid,” he said.
Dr Waiswa advised the government to focus on vaccinating high-risk groups, asking those with symptoms to wear masks and isolate themselves.
He also urged the Health ministry to continue its surveillance to find out whether the Covid-19 situation in the country is changing.
“For those who get Covid-19, the infections are generally mild, so we could spend those resources on the struggling health sector,” he said.
However, Dr Arthur Bainomugisha, a senior lecturer in the Department of Public Administration and Governance at Uganda Christian University and the executive director of Advocates Coalition for Development and Environment (ACODE), said protecting the President should be emphasized more.
“It is not a waste of money when we live in a Covid situation that has not been declared officially over,” he said.
“Your President’s safety is very paramount. Testing people so that he can interact with them when he is safe is important. But you see that now he is even sick, that means he must have messed up somewhere,” he added.
Dr Herbert Luswata, the secretary general of Uganda Medical Association, said the President should be protected because his age puts him among those at high risk of contracting the disease.
“I know the President was immunised, that would be okay to protect him but the biggest problem we have with him is his age because as you grow older, the body becomes weak and the immunity also becomes weak,” he said.
He added: “And as you grow old, your risk of having other chronic illnesses also increases but we don’t know whether the President has other chronic illnesses.”
Last week, Opposition Members of Parliament questioned the relevance of the Covid-19 tests even after the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared that Covid-19 is no longer a global health emergency.
Dr Timothy Batuwa, the Jinja West MP and shadow minister for health, wondered why Mr Museveni engaged with the public after testing positive for Covid-19 last Wednesday.
While delivering the State of the Nation Address at the Kololo Ceremonial Grounds, Mr Museveni said he had taken three Covid-19 tests, one of which showed that he had the disease.
The following day, the President revealed that after additional tests were conducted, he was confirmed to have contracted Covid-19. He, however, said his symptoms are mild and he is on a path to full recovery.
The standard operating procedures (SOPs) which were put in place to curb the spread of the pandemic dictate that people with symptoms of the disease must isolate themselves or avoid areas where people are crowded to limit its spread.
Dr Batuwa said the President’s decision to go to Kololo after a test showed that he may have Covid-19 raises questions about the purpose of testing the officials who attend events and meetings involving the head of state.
“We thought when you test positive, you have to keep away. So now, we are conflicted in understanding. Are they serving a purpose that is medical or are we doing these tests such that there is income to some of these shortlisted companies that are doing tests?” he asked.
The Leader of Opposition in Parliament, Mr Mathias Mpuuga, also said last week that the address, which he estimates could have attracted around 20,000 people, would cost taxpayers Shs3 billion in Covid-19 tests.
However, Mr Faruk Kirunda, the deputy press secretary to the President, dismissed Dr Batuwa’s claim that some companies could be benefitting from the Covid-19 tests.
“I am not even aware of the company that is supplying [the test] kits we are using. What I know is that we get samples and we forward the samples to government laboratories,” Mr Kirunda said.
“After taking samples, they are taken to government facilities in Wandegeya or Mulago hospital. Let them (Opposition) come out with a list [exposing] the said government suppliers,” he added.
When asked about companies that could be benefiting from the Covid-19 testing, Dr Batuwa said he would get back to us but had not done so by press time.
