By Augustine Kabooha.
Catherine Kemigabo the Health Educator Kabarole district local government has responded to the allegations raised by patients against workers at Kaswa health center III in Busoro sub-county.
At the beginning of the week, a section of residents from Busoro sub-county led by Lillian Kamakune raised a red flag against health workers at the health facility accusing them of being discriminative upon people seeking to know their HIV status.
According to Kamakune accompanied by colleagues on Friday 12th February 2021, they visited the health center with aim of testing for HIV/Aids. On the fateful day the group alleged that health workers turndown their request on claims that government instructed Kaswa health center to carry on testing on only 04 people per month.
When Jubilee Radio visited the facility on Thursday 18th February 2021 to independently verify the allegations. The facility in-charge only identified as Norah confirmed the claim saying it is a directive from government but couldn’t give us details.
But according to Catherine Kemigabo, the government back in 2018 passed a policy under which every accredited government health facility is given a target of how many people to test monthly. She explains that ministry of health introduced a questionnaire (screening tool) which they use to determine whether one can be tested or not.
The government opted for this arrangement in order to reduce the costs on testing kits because many people want to test every week even when they have no reasons, she said! We are using the money to buy more ARV’s instead of testing kits.
According to Lillian Kamakune, a resident of Kaswa B, Busoro Sub-county in Kabarole district, she caught her husband red-handed sleeping with another woman the reason she wanted to know her status. “I caught my husband in bed with another woman so I doubted my status the reason I want to test for HIV.
Authorities says that only expectant mothers, sexual workers and other most at risk key populations are guaranteed HIV test at anytime they visit a health facility without being subjected to a screening tool.
