President Yoweri Museveni has said that pregnant women should be able to access healthcare when they need it without special movement stickers during the lockdown.
President Museveni made the statement while responding to questions from the public on Sunday, April 20, 2020.
Since the March 31, 2020 lockdown, many members of the public, including pregnant women, have complained of the difficulties they undergo to access emergency medical care.
There has at least been one reported case of a pregnant woman called Scovia Nakwooya dying because of inability to reach a medical centre in time.
In his 11th address to the nation, President Museveni said that pregnant women will no longer need to get permission letters from their Resident District Commissioners to travel to hospital.
He said, “I can see the case of expectant mothers is obvious…it can easily be seen… for them they may not require clearance from RDCs."
In the same speech, President Museveni amended the time commercial motorcyclists who deliver goods to homes would have to stop working. Previously, motorcycles and bicycles were ordered to cease operation at 2pm.
In the speech, President Museveni said they could now operate up to 5pm and thereafter would be subject to curfew directives. The official curfew for all Ugandans to be off the streets is 7pm until May 5, 2020.
President Museveni also said cargo transporters would be allowed to work all hours. However, the works and transport ministry would advise on how many people would be allowed to travel in these vehicles.
Uganda currently has 55 positive cases for the Coronavirus disease that first started spreading the world in January 2020. Since then, almost all countries have been forced to issue some sort of freeze on public movement.
