Doctors body warns of looming health crisis & human rights violations, call for Dr Kizza Besigye release

The Uganda Medical Association (UMA) has sounded an alarm over the potential health crisis following the withdrawal of USAID funding, which threatens access to life-saving medication for over 1.5 million Ugandans living with HIV. Doctors are appealing to the government to allocate a supplementary budget to bridge the funding gap and ensure continuity of treatment.

Addressing journalists at Mulago Hospital on Sunday, UMA President Dr. Herbert Luswata also raised concerns about unpaid doctors who battled the Ebola outbreak in Mubende. He warned that the delayed payments are demoralizing frontline healthcare workers and called for immediate government intervention.

Dr. Luswata further highlighted the deteriorating health of political figure Dr. Kizza Besigye in prison, citing alarming symptoms such as impaired motor functions. The association emphasized that, under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the World Medical Association’s Declaration of Tokyo, Dr. Besigye is entitled to the highest standard of healthcare, including access to medical treatment from a facility or specialist of his choice.

The UMA underscored that denying medical care in detention contravenes the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (Nelson Mandela Rules). They called for Dr. Besigye’s urgent medical release to access specialized care and nutritional support unavailable in prison.

UMA has urged President Museveni, the Judiciary, Uganda Prisons Service, Parliament, and the Executive to facilitate his immediate release and enable independent medical evaluations. They warned that failure to act sets a dangerous precedent for the health sector and called on both healthcare workers and the public to oppose such injustices.

As the healthcare system faces mounting challenges, UMA’s appeals highlight the need for swift government action to avert further deterioration and uphold human rights.