Prime
Build, strengthen institutions or die
Author: Joseph Ochieno.
What you need to know:
- ‘‘When will quality health services in this country be restored?”
Earlier this week, a friend who had been ignoring their health due to ‘busy schedules’ and the typical male health indifference, got concerned by a specific symptomatic trigger. Privileged, they contacted one of their friends, a senior medical doctor in town.
Invited and led to a private facility, various tests were conducted, diagnostics done, prescriptions suggested and drugs purchased. These processes were done over two days with results: a good shape, excellent health and with only minor exceptions of ongoing life style issues. The final bill was over half a million shillings.
Chatting over tea the following day, my friend acknowledged that not only was the issue a matter of choice into which health facility to attend, but also uncertainties around costs. This for an above average middle income Ugandan and one who is generally very well networked, so what about the ordinary Ugandan?
The evening of the final tests, he said, power went off just as he arrived home. Gladly, it was back in time for bed. The following morning, the day we met, power was off for an hour so he opted for a t-shirt instead of a suit, for he had no ironed clothes.
Then I immediately remembered what kept me busy the previous day. Another friend in Wakiso had one of their workers allegedly sexually assaulted at 4am. The worker had gone out to help themselves as they were suffering from a running tummy; she was pushed inside and assaulted at the commercial premises, and money taken.
Amid this trauma, they went to police and had been initially refused services because they were asking for a formal report so that they could go and get treatment elsewhere. Police had insisted on examining the victim themselves – which they did eventually – but at a fee allegedly higher than what it normally would.
The important point is that they received the services and proceeded for help from a non-governmental organisation. For the moment, the culprits are at large almost certainly waiting for their next prey.
Thinking through these incidents, I now ask, when will quality health services in this country be restored to the level where citizens do not first think about the contents of their pockets, but rather the ailments of their selves?
And when will the confidence in these services be restored to the level that it is not which facility one attends, but simply how fast one does in order to avoid further or intensified complications?
Okay, when will there be integrated public services when police are able to work with other key essential services in order to provide the health, security, protection, privacy and yes, the holistic public services we so deserve?
I would suggest, even as the country awaits Mr Museveni’s middle income dividends to be realised in every household, a victim of crime as above would be fast-tracked for services and where treatment is immediately required, there is an obligatory arrangement to ensure the citizen is attended to at the nearest convenient facility and served either for free, or at worst, with police authority, the State picks up the cost.
I have worked elsewhere where victims of crime, say a break-in in a public facility or property, would not be charged and in a number of cases police would pick up the bill which after all goes back to the taxpayer.
Considering how easily Shs40m can fly around for individuals in Parliament when need arises, yet these are not among the most needy of citizens, there is no reason why these monies cannot be found.
Former president of Burkina Faso Thomas Sankara once said: “We must choose either champagne for a few, or safe drinking water for all.”
But only in Africa will thieves be re-grouping to loot again and the youth whose future are being stolen will be celebrating it. You decide.
The writer is a pan-Africanist
[email protected] Twitter:@Ochieno
