Lawyers: Access to health is a basic right

Anyhow, I returned to ULS, whose recent campaign for a new president obtained my interest and even earned a prayer for one candidate. Impressed by the ULS objects, I noted thus: “Efficient legal service provisions and promotion of ethical conducts; promoting access to justice for indigent, marginalised and vulnerable persons and, promoting the rule of law.” Impressive, again, I thought.

And for a reason, earlier in the week I had experienced sudden discomfort occupying my throat. Not really cough or cold related, it was possibly a stretch of bad sleeping posture, perhaps. But it continued over two days. So I sought medical opinion from my nearest best friend. 

With only a minor gentle observation, the perfection of a clever medic, an experienced and a senior one as such, she quickly concluded that it was possibly acute-lymphadenitis whose immediate treatment would isolate any other possibilities that would then require a formal, further investigation. Within hours of the first dose, I was okay and by next morning, experienced no pain unless by deliberate pressure of my own touch.
 
Suppose I did not have the Shs31,000 for the drugs that day and, imagine in the absence of my privilege as a friend to a doctor, I had sought a visit to a clinic and included consultation fees? Suppose it was that other marginalised, vulnerable Ugandan in Bugiri or greater Bukedi sub-region? I quickly concluded that this week, I could easily have developed complications sufficient enough for worries. Now, that is real Uganda.

So, while ULS continues in its noble mission to support one of its own and whereas I wish their colleague a quick and full recovery, I appeal to citizens of Uganda, especially those with privilege and access to power, special callings, resources and exploits of conscience to wake up and review this; imagine waking up on the day of my submission of this article and there was no power. Helpless I was; no battery (for my laptop), no wake-up-coffee, no breakfast yet I had to take my medicine. The only option was to go and spend (on breakfast) in this posh hotel of privilege merely to have access to ‘generator’ power and to medicate.

Thinking public policies and programmes that mitigate such inconveniences and risks to lives, I remembered the hapless state in which the political party during whose two reigns the battles against ignorance, poverty and disease were effectively fought and won; UPC. 

While some people within the ranks of its membership have been responsible for its current ‘abeyance’ in leadership, I do not miss the fact that this NRA-M regime has been largely responsible for attempting to send it down the grave, except it’s an idea, it cannot die. 

Just imagine returning ‘unused-money’ back to the Treasury. Those were Milton Obote and Mzee Robert Elangot (RIP), the former Secretary and Deputy Governor of Bank of Uganda buried yesterday in Serere District. 

In committing to their legacies, hence a future UPC government would ensure a universal high quality health care with limitless access, free at the point of delivery, and paid for by efficiency, savings and taxation, not American-style health insurance which are preserves for the limited privileged few. It is possible; just believe in better.

The writer is a pan-Africanist and former columnist with New African Magazine                      [email protected]