Speaker advocates for special needs facilities

The Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga has called upon the government to provide more facilities and personnel for people with special needs.

Kadaga said that the set-up of the health sector is not sensitive to people with disabilities especially the blind, deaf and mute.

“We need to see the new medical and health workers getting special training to attend to the people who cannot talk, walk or see so that we can equity for everyone,” she said.

Kadaga said this while officiating at the 11th Graduation Ceremony of the Uganda Institute of Allied Health and Management Sciences.

She promised that Parliament would look into these issues affecting the Health Sector conclusively.

“We are going to dedicate an entire debate on the health sector to exhaust all the issues that are lacking in our health systems and devise resolutions to be implemented by the Executive arm of government,” Kadaga said.

On the issue of accommodation for girls at the Institute as raised by the Principal of the Institute, the Speaker faulted the government on its poor planning that is skewed to cater for the boys.

“The planning for residences for girls is poor and the Ministry does not pay attention to this yet it should in this era where there is no sex based discrimination,” she said.

The Principal of the Institute, Alfred Otim, said the graduands will be awarded diplomas and certificates in courses of Audiology, ENT head and neck surgery, physiotherapy, occupation therapy, dental technology, health and promotion education, environmental health Sciences and others.

“With this education terminal we are contributing to the 2040 vision and the development of our country,” he said.

He said the Institute is suffering with a very low number of training personnel standing at 30 per cent of the required staffing levels and inadequate equipment.

In a related development, the Speaker presided over a graduation at the YMCA Comprehensive Institute in Buwambo and called increased support towards vocational and technical training.

Kadaga expressed satisfaction with the graduates especially those involved in fashion and design adding that this industry is good for the economy as people will stop importing clothes from abroad.