Budaka LCs and Village Health Teams reject government face masks
The Local Council Chairpersons and Village Health Teams (VHTs) of Budaka town council have vehemently rejected government face masks.
Budaka district just like others on Monday this week received a total of 200,734 face masks from the government and ministry of health to be distributed to the community members across the 20 sub-counties in government efforts to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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However, the distribution did not take place in Budaka town council as LCs and VHTs who had been assigned to distribute the masks refused, saying the masks were few.
Patrick Kabazi the chairperson of Nakibulu village in Budaka town council who doubles as the LC I chairperson said the masks were inadequate compared to the number of the anticipated beneficiaries.
He wondered why the government sent a few masks yet they provided factual figures.
The LCs vowed that the distribution of masks will not take place unless government ameliorates the discrepancies.
"How can you direct us to give a household of ten people only 4 masks, this is against the government policy," Kabazi said amidst thunderous applause from colleagues.
Hellen Aruto the district VHT coordinator said they didn't want to take a risk again to distribute inadequate face masks to the locals like it was during mosquito net distribution recently.
She explains that locals are already angered by the previous shortage of nets and taking a few masks to them will be to ignite their anger and this will automatically affect President Museveni’s votes
An attempt by the town clerk Mr. David Tabitya to convince the officers to take the masks fell on deaf ears as other LCS attempted to punch him.
The CAO Budaka Mr. Elly Pi-Wang condemned the conduct of the officers saying they were based on wrong assumptions.
He said the district had allocated 15,352 masks for distribution among the 3,838 households and had reserved extra 3630 masks to cater for any shortfall.
Mr. Pi-Wang pledged to interface with the aggrieved LCS and VHT'S before the distribution resumes.
He urged the beneficiaries to use the masks well and always adhere to the set SOPs as set by the government and the ministry of health.
