Published on 06/08/2024
Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa has directed the Chairperson of the Health Committee to engage the Uganda Medical Board on managing medical referrals for Ugandans needing treatment abroad.
This move follows a revelation by Minister of State for Health (General Duties), Hon. Anifa Kawooya who announced that the Uganda Medical Board is responsible for facilitating treatments abroad when local options are insufficient. The initiative aims to streamline the process and ensure that Ugandans receive necessary care in a timely manner.
Hon. Kawooya was responding to a matter of national importance raised by Maracha County MP, Hon. Denis Oguzu Lee, who questioned the criteria followed by the Medical Board when financing Ugandans for treatment abroad.
“What is the criteria Ugandans should follow to access health care? If I want to be flown to India or America and I am from the village, what is the criteria?” he asked during the sitting on Tuesday, 6 August 2024.
In her response, Hon. Kawooya explained that the Medical Board referral for treatment abroad applies to any Ugandan who has a medical condition that cannot be treated within the country.
“There must be a patient, and this patient must have a physician who has been attending to them. If the patient has been referred abroad, the patient has to apply through the Medical Board,” she said.
However, there have been concerns among Ugandans regarding who is entitled to government-funded treatment abroad, as many have been turned down by the board.
The Uganda Medical Board is a regulatory body under the Ministry of Health, tasked with overseeing medical assessments for public officers unable to perform their duties due to medical conditions or disabilities. The Board convenes regularly to evaluate cases and make recommendations for medical retirement.
In 2021, the Government moved to decentralise the Uganda Medical Board’s services to address the overwhelming demand for medical retirement assessments.
Meanwhile, the Nakaseke District Woman Representative, Hon. Sarah Najjuma, decried a syndicate of cheating patients and extortion in hospitals.
