The Jinja city southern division west legislator, Dr. Timothy Lusala Batuwa, has expressed fear over the proposed budget for the financial year 2023/24, which he says is going to negatively impact Ugandans.
The honorable who also doubles as the shadow minister for health speaks out while addressing Journalists in Jinja on Friday. He says the budget is so dangerous and is optimistic that it is going to collapse the health sector adding that this year’s budget is the poorest where civil servants and locals shall not have any benefit.
“Unless something is done, this year’s budget is going to collapse many sectors. During the budgeting process, budget estimates brought to Parliament to be given money by the Parliament supply committee, were not so much looked at,” says Batuwa.
He says on several occasions, Ugandans have been going to government hospitals and being sent to buy medicine outside. This is done by medical personnel who guide patients on the tablets and tests to be done from private health facilities and come back for treatment.
“These people (intern doctors) who have been guiding on which tablets, scans, x-rays to be done by the patient were ignored in the budget. They were left on a payment which can’t cater for any basic need,” says Batuwa adding that according to Ugandans this financial year, shall be treated by people who lack shelter, food, transport and other stuffs. It’s shall, therefore, be the responsibility of the patient to pay and meet the needs of the medical personnel.
According to Batuwa, the budget needs to be revised otherwise the desperate and poor Ugandans are to continue suffering.
This year’s national budget of 52 trillion Uganda shillings passed by Parliament is set to be read on June 14, 2023. This is after president Yoweri Museveni addressing Parliament in his state of the nation address on Wednesday.
“The burden of paying the medical intern has been left to you the patient. He is going to ask you money and there will be no any difference between a private and government hospital something that oppresses Ugandans in the struggle of paying taxes,” Batuwa added.
