NEWS: Health Minister, MPs clash at Malaria Day Celebrations

Health Minister, MPs clash at Malaria Day Celebrations

Sunady, APril 26, 2009 from MONITOR ONLINE

The Malaria Day Celebrations held in Apopong sub-County last Saturday almost turned chaotic, when the Health Minister, Dr Steven Mallinga and two MPs from Teso hauled accusations at each other over malaria and other government programmes.The argument was triggered off by statements made by Pallisa County [MP, Mr Louis Opange and Bukedea Country MP, Mr Oduman Okello Charles that misallocation of funds was partly responsible for escalating malaria cases in the country.The speeches of the two MPs who confessed that they had fluked the Malaria Day Celebrations concentrated on the findings in the 2006/07 Auditor General’s report which indicated that some officials in the Ministry of health used Shs410 million meant for drugs to travel abroad.In response, the visibly charged minister, attacked the two MPs describing them as a nuisance and sleeping Members of Parliament who were lousily politicizing government programmes.“These are sleeping MPs who have never raised any issues in Parliament. I have never heard OPange talking in Parliament. He is ever quiet but now he wants to give you an impression that he can speak.What is he talking about,” said Dr Mallinga who spoke in a mixture of English and the local dialect Ateso, for the message to sink in the populace. The Minister also accused the MPs and district councilors of hijacking government programmes like meant to improve the welfare of the locals such as NUSAF and NAADS among others.“The locals write their proposals but they are taken over by some MPs and councilors,” he said.The Minister Particularly pinned Mr Opange saying he had used his influence to entrust his wife with the distribution of cows which the government sent the area to improve the livelihood of the locals.However, Mr Opanga denied the allegations saying his wife lives with him in Kampala and that she has never engaged herself in the distribution of the cows in question.Dr Mallinga said the leaders in Teso should cooperate and promote development in the area other than criticizing the government. After minutes of squabbling, the Minister was then reminded to talk about malaria which was the theme of day. In response, Dr Mallinga said malaria remains a major killer and cause of poverty in Uganda and other endemic countries.He said studies have shown that Africa and Uganda inclusive lags behind development by 32 years because of malaria.“We are spending lots of money buying drugs which would have helped us in other sectors because malaria,” Dr Mallinga said.He stressed the need for a collaborative effort in the struggle against malaria.The World Health Organisation representative in Uganda, Dr Joaquim Saweka called for the scaling up of interventions that have been put in place to contain the spread of malaria such as use of insecticide treated nets.