David Emong who won gold at the London Para athletics championship recently

Parliament last week recognized and honored, David Emong, the Paralympic gold medalist at the recent 2017 World Para athletics championships in London, United Kingdom.

Kyoga County MP, Anthony Okello, had earlier moved a motion to honour Emong for winning the 1500 metre race last.

Okello commended National Council for Sports, the coach of Uganda Prisons coach, Bank of Uganda and Lango Parliamentary Group for supporting Emong.

He however urged government and all stakeholders to support Emong as much as possible to win more medals and also break the para athlete world record champion.

The motion was seconded by the representative for Persons with Disabilities, Hellen Asamo, who says that parliament should also give a financial contribution to Emong like it done in the past for the national football and netball teams.

Kitgum MP Beatrice Anywar however says Parliament should not just give handouts but come up with mechanisms to reward great performers in various aspects including sports.

The opposition minister of sports Allan Sewanyana urged parliament to task government to ensure it fulfils its pledges to the athletics and sports men citing that government promised that any athlete that wins gold in international competitions will give a monthly salary of  5 million shillings and hence would like to see Emong enjoy the same.

Emong said that he won this gold medal because of good preparations

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Minister of Health Dr Jane Ruth Aceng.

Members of parliament on the parliamentary committee of national economy expressed their displeasure last week to the minister of health, Jane Aceng, over what they said is a worsening provision of health materials and nursing care in most government hospitals across the country.

The committee chaired by the MP for Nakaseke North, Syda Bumba, was querying reasons outlined by Aceng, for members to approve a proposal by government to secure a loan worth USD110 million to support the reproductive, maternal and child health services in the country.

The MPs wondered why loans are secured for health sector but that there are no drugs in most health facilities across the country. Legislators why there is still only one doctor supposed to cater for many patients moreover on very low pay an issue that causes patients to lose hope in some hospital because they have poor service delivery.

MPs who included: Mbale Municipality MP, Jack Wamai Wamanga,Mukono South MP, Johnson Muyanja Ssenyonga ,Soroti Municipality MP,Herbert Ariko, Gomba West MP, Kalule Ssengo and Kioga County MP,Anthony Okello, said that because of the government is  neglecting the provision of hospitals materials the burden is put on members of parliament .

Committee that is Chaired by the Nakaseke North MP, Syda Bumba.

MPs said that it has instead become their role to equip hospitals with beds and mattresses in order for them to reduce on the number of patients sleeping on floor while they are admitted in government health units.

“It is painful as a member of parliament to pay for these hospital materials when the people we represents pay taxes to government. Where does all this money go for government not to be able to deliver proper health services to its people,” wondered, Jack Wamanga Wamayi, the Mbale Municipality MP.

Herbert Ariko, the Soroti MP on the other hand wants the ministry to be in charge of managing the children births in health centres by giving hospitals children wards with beds to avoid the existing situation where 7 children are put on one bed after mother delivering.

“You visit a hospital and see a whole bed is crowded by mothers looking after their children before being discharged. As a ministry you need to find a way of providing beds for new born babies to avoid overcrowding that is currently experienced in many hospitals especially upcountry,” said Ariko.

Kioga County MP, Anthony Okello, also said priority for the ministry of health should focus on providing beds in the health centers in his area and that he is willing to cater for supply of mattresses.

Aceng, however, assured the legislators that once they approve the new loan from the World Bank, there will soon see improvements on health Centre III and IV to improve on maternal and child health services.

She said the ministry will put the money in good use putting into consideration all their concerns.

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The MPs made the remarks while debating the ministerial statement on the water weed on Lake Victoria presented to Parliament by the State Minister for Environment, Mary Goreti Kitutu Kimono.

Margaret Komuhangi right together with the Leader of Opposition Winnie Kizza left.

The MP for Nakasongola district, Margaret Komuhangi, said that this weed has led people to die on water in Nakasongola when it cuts them off while fishing.

MPs that included that for Kyoga County, Anthony Okello, Amolter district Woman MP, Doreen Amule, said that there should be measures to remove this weed from Lake Kyoga so that it does not spread over other water bodies and affect fishing and transport.

In his response the Minister of Agriculture, Vincent Sempijja, assured Parliament and the fishing community that this water weed will be removed as soon as possible since the machines to carry out this work are available .

Part of Lake Kyoga

This new weed has small leaves while in some parts of this lake is known as Nankabirwa weed and it tends to multiply fast.

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Silver medalist David Emong of Uganda poses on the podium at the medal ceremony for Men’s1500m – T46 during day 9 of the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games at the Olympic Stadium on September 16, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Parliament has acknowledged the contribution of the Paralympics Medalist David Emong, for winning a silver medal in the 1500-meter race at Rio’s Summer Paralympics Games.

In a motion moved by Kioga County, Member of Parliament, Anthony Okello, MPs said Emong had brought pride to the country while flying the country’s flag high.

In his motion seconded by Amolatar Woman Representative, Doreen Amule, Okello called upon government to support the dream of Emong which the athlete says is that of winning a gold medal at the next Paralympics competitions in 2020 that will take place in Tokyo- Japan.

Okello also asked government to recognize Emong and accord him all privileges that were accorded to the earlier medalists.

He also called on government to identify and nurture talents of all sports men and women in the country as earlier enough in life.

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