A section of MPs have opposed to the government’s move to charge a fee for Ugandans who want to voluntarily test for COVID-19.
The ministry of health on Sunday announced that that starting September 1, 2020, specific categories of Ugandans will have to pay Shs240,500 as fees for Covid-19 testing across the country.
The ministry of health proposed that among the categories of people to be charged for the coronavirus testing are truck drivers, individuals seeking to know their COVID-19 status, organizations who wish to test their staff, Ugandans returning from abroad and visitors arriving in the country.
However, MPs including Medard Ssegona (Busiro East), Ruth Katushabe (Bukomansimbi North), Johnson Muyanja Ssenyonga (Mukono South), Leandro Komakech (Gulu Municipality) and Hilary Lokwang (Ik County) said that government should continue footing the bills for COVID-19 testing for whoever wants to test voluntarily .
Ssegona said it is “not sensible to commercialize the fight against COVID-19 pandemic.”
