Gov't says first phase of distributing government masks to start in border districts next week
Additional reporting by Jonah Kirabo
The Ministry of Health has announced that the first phase of distributing government free masks will start in the border districts next week.
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This was revealed by state minister for Health in charge of general duties of Robinah Nabbanja.
Nabbanja was in Hoima where she had spearheaded the mask distribution and sensitization team that had visited the area on Tuesday to sensitize the district task force teams in the Albertine region on how to wear masks.
She said: "We have considered the border districts as high-risk areas since they are at the borders of the country and deserve to be reached to quickly,"
Nabbanja said that district task forces will have to draw a plan on how they will distribute the masks since they will be bearing the costs of distribution themselves with supervision of local council one chairmen.
Dr Jesca Nsungwa, commissioner in charge of Child Maternal and Reproductive Health said that since the districts received money to engage in the fight against Covid-19, they will use this to distribute the masks.
"Our understanding is that that the districts still have the Shs 165m that was allocated to them and it is the same money that they are going to use to distribute the masks in three days," Dr Nsungwa said.
Some members of the district task forces who preferred anonymity however expressed concerns saying that districts had already used the money on surveillance, feeding people among other activities and the balance won't be enough to distribute masks.
Nabbanja warned the people in Hoima against moving without masks. She said that they should buy reusable face masks if they are in public as they continue to wait for government masks.
Nabbanja added that districts which were not marked as border districts will be considered in the second phase of distribution.
On Tuesday, While presenting the Ministry of Health's performance report in as far as implementing the NRM manifesto is considered, the minister of Health Dr Jane Ruth Aceng revealed that government had already secured Shs 35 billion to make 33 million face masks for Ugandans.
