Independent presidential candidate Amama Mbabazi has decried the state of the health system in the country saying it has turned to be death traps rather than where lives can be saved.
“I know very well the state of your hospitals and health centres, instead of providing you a curative service, they have become a death trap for our mothers who die in the process of producing lives.”
The former Prime Minister was on Wednesday launching his campaign in Lira at Akii Bua stadium.
He said 16-19 women die in Uganda every day during delivery which is bad and must stopped.
Amama accompanied by Norbert Mao, Olara Otunu, David Pulkol, and Benson Obua among others arrived in Lira from Gulu. He passed via Juba road, Obote Avenue as huge crowds gathered, escorting him bringing business along the commercial street to a stand still
Amama promised a large gathering who braced the melting sunshine at Akii Bua stadium in Lira town where the rally was held that when elected, his government will invest in health care and make deliberate policies to save the lives of Ugandans.
“We shall give medical workers enough money for them to pay attention to their work,” he said attracting wild applause and ululation from the crowd.
His promise to tackle maternal deaths comes as a relief to one, Akello Dorcus who recently lost a relative at Lira Regional referral hospital. “I lost my aunt at the hospital due to power failure,” she said adding that mothers should be saved from going through such painful experience.
Amama, who as a long history of working in the government said he had limited power to cause change in the lives of Ugandans because such powers are given only to the president of Uganda. When elected, he said, he will use such powers to transform the country positively.
The former premier also said he will transform education by improving on the livelihood of the teachers.
He also hailed former President Milton Obote for the contribution he made towards the development of Uganda.
As a former athlete, Amama praised the fallen sports hero, John Akii Bua who won Uganda’s First gold medal in 1972 Olympics. He said Akii Bua brought honor to the nation but government has not appreciated him. He frown when told the dilapidated field he was addressing the rally is Akii Bua stadium. “Am proud of him (Akii Bua) because he brought glory for this country.”
“If I am elected my priority will be to build Akii Bua stadium in order to reawaken his name ,” he promised.
On agriculture Amama noted that farmers are being rob of their profits by buyers who get their produce cheaply. He has plans to empower local farmers to do collective bargain in order to benefit from better markets through cooperatives.
Democratic Party precident Norbert Mao received a rousing applause at the rally and criticized precident Museveni for not providing a level ground to his other competitor in the precedential race. “What precident Museveni is doing undermines the principles of democracy”, Mao reiterated.
Amama said he is committed to his lifelong cause to bring about changes in society and peaceful transition of power that will be the first time in the history of Uganda.
