• Contact Us
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Donate
  • Login
Watchdog Uganda
  • Home
  • News
    • National
    • Politics
    • World News
    • Media Outreach Newswire
    • Africa News
    • Tourism
    • Community News
    • Luganda
    • Sports
      • Football
      • Motorsport
  • Op-Ed
    • #Out2Lunch
    • Conversations with
    • Politics
    • Relationships
  • Business
    • Agriculture
    • CEOs & Entrepreneurs,
    • Companies
    • Finance
    • Products
    • RealEstate
    • Technology
  • Entertainment
    • Lifestyle
  • People
    • Showbiz
      • Salon Mag
  • Special Report
    • Education
    • Voices
  • Reviews
    • Products
    • Events
    • Hotels
    • Restaurants
    • Places
  • WD-TV
  • Donate
  • China News
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • National
    • Politics
    • World News
    • Media Outreach Newswire
    • Africa News
    • Tourism
    • Community News
    • Luganda
    • Sports
      • Football
      • Motorsport
  • Op-Ed
    • #Out2Lunch
    • Conversations with
    • Politics
    • Relationships
  • Business
    • Agriculture
    • CEOs & Entrepreneurs,
    • Companies
    • Finance
    • Products
    • RealEstate
    • Technology
  • Entertainment
    • Lifestyle
  • People
    • Showbiz
      • Salon Mag
  • Special Report
    • Education
    • Voices
  • Reviews
    • Products
    • Events
    • Hotels
    • Restaurants
    • Places
  • WD-TV
  • Donate
  • China News
No Result
View All Result
Watchdog Uganda
No Result
View All Result

MPs call for countrywide Covid-19 screening

watchdog by watchdog
5 years ago
in National, News
4 0
MPs at a recent Covid-19 testing session. Parliament has been keen on regular testing of legislators and staff to ensure a safe working environment

MPs at a recent Covid-19 testing session. Parliament has been keen on regular testing of legislators and staff to ensure a safe working environment

ShareTweetSendShare

Following a sharp rise in Covid-19 cases country wide, Parliament has called on government to swiftly implement mass testing for Covid-19, to avoid a more disastrous phase as has been observed in other countries.

Legislators said the fact that the infection rate is rising among health workers who are the foot soldiers in the fight, calls for urgent response on the side of government to ensure that every Ugandan is screened.

“The Minister of Health has been quoted for having stated that even the medical workers are getting scared because there is a general increase in infection among themselves,” said hon. Cecilia Ogwal (FDC, Dokolo).

Ogwal who raised the matter during plenary on Thursday 24, September 2020 said that much as she was aware of how costly the Covid-19 testing kits are, the stakes are so high that cheaper mechanisms of testing should be explored so as to reach all Ugandans.

“In view of the fact that people upcountry are not taking the standard operating procedures seriously, and in view of the rising infections and death rate resulting from Covid-19, I am making an appeal that government must come up with a cheap mechanism for mass testing of Covid-19,” said Ogwal.

She said she was afraid Uganda may be obscure about the actual image of the Covid-19 burden as testing has been limited to just a small sample of contacts of Covid-19 cases.

“If we do not test everyone, we will never be able to record the exact picture of people affected because they are using a small sample of people who are associated with Covid-19 cases, yet there could be so many who are infected but have not been reached,” Ogwal said.

MPs from border districts said that subjecting citizens to pay for the Covid-19 test has proved unrealistic considering that they have been under lockdown for about six months. Even truck drivers are finding it hard to pay for the test, according to the Tororo County South MP, Fredrick Angura.

“The truck drivers based at Malaba border are challenged, they earn about Shs 70,000 a day but they are mandated to pay for a test said to cost about Shs 200,000 if they are to keep in business,” said Angura.

The Minister of State for Finance (Planning), David Bahati, told Parliament that even if government had all financial resources required for mass testing, there is currently a scarcity of testing kits and reagents on the world market.

“The National Covid-19 Task Force has discussed the possibility of mass testing testing, but to say that we are going to test every Ugandan for Covid-19 would be untrue, because we would not get all the required test kits as the world is stretched,” said Bahati.

Busia Municipality MP, Geoffrey Macho, however, did not take Bahati’s justification saying that Kenyan government has been able to secure a free test for its citizens at the Busia border.

“Every Kenyan at the Busia border is given a free Covid-19 test, but we the Ugandan citizens have been conditioned to pay for the test which most ordinary Ugandans cannot afford,” said Macho.


Do you have a story in your community or an opinion to share with us: Email us at editorial@watchdoguganda.com
Share1Tweet1SendShare

Related Posts

Sudhir Ruparelia is the undisputed king of Kampala
Business

Why Sudhir Ruparelia is Ahead of John Bosco Muwonge in the Class of Billionaires

8th July 2025 at 00:42
Community News

Youths back Museveni: Ivan Muluga leads Kaliro youth league to endorse President for 2026-2031

7th July 2025 at 23:01
National

President Museveni kicks off PDM tour in Wakiso,vows to extend more support 

7th July 2025 at 20:11
Next Post

7 Facts Fathers Never Tell Their Sons about Women

  • Prostitution in Uganda- Courtesy Photo

    10 dangerous hotspots known for prostitutes in Kampala

    1118 shares
    Share 447 Tweet 280
  • Silent Billionaire Bosco Muwonge Buys Mukwano Arcade at UGX 250 Billion Cash Down

    44 shares
    Share 18 Tweet 11
  • LIST: New salary structure for civil servants starting July 2020 out; scientists, lecturers get juicy pay rise

    2287 shares
    Share 915 Tweet 572
  • Who is Bosco Muwonge, Uganda’s elusive real estate billionaire?

    29 shares
    Share 12 Tweet 7
  • Uganda’s Billionaires 2025: Once Again Sudhir Ruparelia Leads a Resilient Pack

    46 shares
    Share 18 Tweet 12
Facebook Twitter

Contact Information

Watchdog Uganda is a portal for solution journalism, trending news plus cutting edge commentaries in the fields of politics, security, business, tourism, entertainment, technology, agriculture, climate change, environment, public health et al. We also give preference to Ugandan community news and topical discussions. The portal also publishes community news and topical discussions.

Email: editorial@watchdoguganda.com
To Advertise:Click here

Latest News

Sudhir Ruparelia is the undisputed king of Kampala

Why Sudhir Ruparelia is Ahead of John Bosco Muwonge in the Class of Billionaires

8th July 2025 at 00:42

Youths back Museveni: Ivan Muluga leads Kaliro youth league to endorse President for 2026-2031

7th July 2025 at 23:01

Check out

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Minister Muruli Mukasa

LIST: New salary structure for civil servants starting July 2020 out; scientists, lecturers get juicy pay rise

24th May 2020 at 10:45
Pregnant woman

Shock as 17-year old boy impregnates his two sisters during Covid-19 lockdown 

17th June 2020 at 08:17
Sudhir Ruparelia is the undisputed king of Kampala

Billionaire Sudhir’s wisdom on how to invest in real estate

0

How a boy’s destiny turned from cotton grower to communications guru

0
Sudhir Ruparelia is the undisputed king of Kampala

Why Sudhir Ruparelia is Ahead of John Bosco Muwonge in the Class of Billionaires

8th July 2025 at 00:42

Youths back Museveni: Ivan Muluga leads Kaliro youth league to endorse President for 2026-2031

7th July 2025 at 23:01

© 2025 Watchdog Uganda

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • National
    • Politics
    • World News
    • Media Outreach Newswire
    • Africa News
    • Tourism
    • Community News
    • Luganda
    • Sports
      • Football
      • Motorsport
  • Op-Ed
    • #Out2Lunch
    • Conversations with
    • Politics
    • Relationships
  • Business
    • Agriculture
    • CEOs & Entrepreneurs,
    • Companies
    • Finance
    • Products
    • RealEstate
    • Technology
  • Entertainment
    • Lifestyle
  • People
    • Showbiz
      • Salon Mag
  • Special Report
    • Education
    • Voices
  • Reviews
    • Products
    • Events
    • Hotels
    • Restaurants
    • Places
  • WD-TV
  • Donate
  • China News

© 2025 Watchdog Uganda