Questionable Charity
It is the role of Government to renovate Pallisa Hospital and it is the role of our Members of Parliament (MPs) to advocate for Government to do its job. This was my response, way back on 31st July 2019, to my fellow district mate who sent me a private message requesting as follows:
I need to add you to some serious Pallisa WhatsApp group. It is made up of different ipalisa. Currently, they are organising a marathon to raise funds for renovation of Pallisa Hospital. If you don’t mind share your number I request admin to add you. Thanks.
Since then, I have received several private messages from friends, colleagues and even family making similar requests.
So, I have decided to make my opinion public through my blog.
When I got to learn the kinds of activity that the sons and daughters of Pallisa are sponsoring as part of the event, my opinion is further entrenched. I am not shifting one bit.
Apparently, an aerobics trainer is being sponsored to come all the way from Kampala. The one who guided during the presidential launch of National Fitness Day, apparently. Mmmmm … Really?
That there will be dancing for the LORD (Christian hymns) as you exercise. Okay, mmmmm… Really?
That there will be Zumba, Kona Dance. Aso kya mmmm… Really?
That there will be Insanity and Self Defense skills training. Ebe mmmmm… Really?
How does “dancing for the LORD” or dancing Zumba, Kona Dance and learning insanity and self-defense skills deal with the root reasons why Pallisa Hospital was never maintained in the first place?
More Questions Need Answers
I wonder whether there will be discourse on why our MPs allowed for resources to be squandered on the “presidential launch of National Fitness Day.”
Particularly, when Pallisa Hospital has been in a state of disrepair for decades and with insufficient medical supplies.
Entrance to Pallisa District Hospital Male Ward
I wonder whether there will be reckoning on why it is the case that nearly all ‘government doctors’, deployed to Pallisa Hospital have private health care facilities.
Private facilities to which ‘government doctors’ paid by taxes we pay, refer patients.
Some patients referred to private facilities by said ‘government doctors’, who should be managed at the public hospital and provided free healthcare services.
I wonder, how come Pallisa is among the districts which do not fully utilize annual funding allocation and the funds are returned to the centre.
Will the district officials be held to account on this contradiction, unspent funds returned to the centre?
How is it that they returned money to the centre when our public hospital needed renovation?
And now needs charity to renovate?
Who did not do their job?
Who squandered the resources?
Basically, Kalinaki’s analysis is on point as he shared it in an article whose title asks a profound question: “Go on, run for cancer, jump for water but who’s gonna fight for your rights?”
Let’s Chat…