HEALTH: Ugandans have again raised their voices using social media to demand for proper health facilities in a campaign now popularly known as Uganda Health Exhibition.
In a health campaign led by a popular cartoonist Dr. Jim Spire Ssentongo, Ugandans have since Monday morning 24th April 2023 thronged the Twitter space to showcase their hollible experiences in the country’s health sector.
By Monday 10am, the twitter space had over 27.5k trending tweets demanding to improved health services in various parts of the country.
Using #UgandaHealthExhibition, week-long activism will aim to spotlight Uganda’s sick health system- continuing a new tradition of taking heaps of discontentment to government on social media and it is expected to end on 5th May.
You’ve had all the time to work and speak, let’s give you some feedback in the next two weeks. Listen to what we go through and feel. Don’t get angry, get concerned – and get working,” Dr. Spire tweeted
Dr. Spire also asked Ugandans to protect the patients privacy in the campaign.
“You can exhibit photos, videos, and narratives of experiences with the health sector. Add dates and places where the photos/videos were taken. The phase of jokes will come on Wednesday; now we start with display of concrete evidence.” Spire said.
However, according to Spire, Hospitals and Health centers had already started cleaning before the #UgandaHealthExhibition
“I hope you sustain the efforts, not just for momentary appearances. Fellow Exhibitors, have you seen any new changes in hospitals you’ve visited today?” he asked.
Emmanuel Ainebyoona, the Ministry of Health Spokesperson in an interview with Buganda Kingdom’s Radio CBS on Monday morning said the Uganda Health Campaign will also help the ministry to record loopholes in their service and also attract the government to facilitate the Ministry of Health budget to cover up the loopholes.
Contrary to the negativity online, Uganda like any other developing country is doing its best to ensure that people access medical services within a range of less than 5km. However, this comes with challenges just like any other huge project.
Last week, Dr. Spire started another campaign which was dubbed as Kampala Pothole Exhibition which exposed the rotten road system in Kampala and the metropolitan which forced President Museveni to direct the finance ministry to urgently release Shs6b to KCCA for pothole filling, repairs & maintenance of roads in Kampala. The directive followed the social media ‘exhibition’ urging authorities to fix city roads.
Dr. Spire also alerted other government departments like Uganda Police, UMEME and Electricity Regulatory Authority to get ready for the social media torch into their services as Ugandans also demands for a campaign to look into Environment Management by the National Environment Management Authority and the Ministry of Water and Environment.
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