Where is Dakabela?
Who is Cosmos Elotu?
My first reaction when I saw the Ministry of Health post on X about the visit of Speaker Among with ailing Hon. Cosmos Elotu, Member of Parliament (MP) representing Dakabela.
Dakabela
I did an online search and learnt that Dakabela was curved out of Soroti in 2015. It consists of the three sub-counties of Arapai, Tubur and Katine in Teso in North-Eastern Uganda.
Turns out, I have been to all the three sub-counties doing door to door research in the villages.
Unless things have changed from the time I did research there in 2011-2012, the standards of living of the people of Dakabela are likely among the lowest not only in Teso, but also countrywide.
Case in point:
“Katine is prone to droughts and floods, which can destroy harvests. With limited district public services, people continue to live close to the poverty line.” The Guardian
The Member of Parliament
Elotu, the National Resistance Movement flag bearer, had a narrow victory in the 2021 elections. He garnered 13,840 votes (50.9%), beating two other candidates – an independent; and the Forum for Democratic Change flag bearer.
He is among MPs from Teso who are mute in Parliament.
Reportedly, “Elotu is one of the ‘dumb’ MPs representing Teso in Parliament. He has barely said anything on the floor of the House.” TesoVibez.
A surprising state of affairs, since Elotu is a former actor in the non-governmental (NGO) sector. And has prior worked for the United Nations World Food Program.
Healthcare Services
I applaud Mulago National Referral Hospital and Ministry of Health for doing a good job in providing care for patients, including Elotu, as asserted by Speaker Among.
But, what is the state of healthcare services in Dakabela?
“Tiriri health centre IV, located just outside Tiriri trading centre in Katine, is the main facility for seven sub-counties, which make up Soroti county (three of which now make up Dakabela). A health centre IV is a mini hospital. It should have the kind of services found at health centre III, but it should have wards for men, women, and children and should be able to admit patients. It should have a senior medical officer and another doctor as well as a theatre for carrying out emergency operations. Although Tiriri health centre has 34 beds, and sees up to 100 out-patients a day, it has no doctor. It is run by two clinical officers. It has a theatre that does not work because of lack of water, power and other smaller installations.” (Source @ Richard Kavuma in “Uganda’s healthcare system explained,” published in The Guardian
Granted, the situation at Tiriri Health Centre seems improved and there is now a doctor in charge.
However, there is still significantly more that needs to be done in order to bring the centre to the expected and acceptable standard.
Moral Leadership
How great it would be for each of our elected MPs to resolve and ensure that there is one health facility in the constituency in which they represent that they feel comfortable being treated in when they are ill.
The tradition of our leaders going to seek healthcare services elsewhere, as is the case with Elotu, at huge costs borne by us the tax payers is immoral.
Contextualized within the fact that we, the tax payers, are not getting value for money in terms of provision of public social services. The plight of the residents of Tiriri should be the anomaly and not the norm as it countrywide.
It is immoral that public social services provision is not the priority of our elected officials during their term of office.
How do we break this cycle?
Let’s Chat…