By Chris Mugasha
BUSHENYI: After spending Billions of money in hospitals abroad to save the life of his mother in vain, City Tycoon ALHajji. Dr. Hassan Bassajjabalaba has no kind words for the leaders especially the Members of Parliament (MPs.)
On Saturday, Bassajjabalaba paused a bit the pain of losing his mother Hajjati Azida Bassajjabalaba, 86, before he went on to pour out his anger against government/MPs.
Addressing thousands of mourners who thronged their Katungu home in Ishaka town to send off Azida, Bassajjabalaba reiterated his disappointment with the Parliament for failing to legislate on matters which can enable Ugandans to access better health services through the medical insurance arrangement.
Bassajjabalaba narrated how he has been spending about Shs1billion on every Germany trip where his mother has been getting specialized treatment. “We have travelled to Germany for over 10times to seek for treatment and this does not include the expenses that we have incurred in India, South Africa, UK and London where we made several visits getting treatment” he narrated.
“This is a cost which a common person cannot afford to get treated,” the tycoon said as some of the mourners clapped in appreciation of his stand.
“When you speak like this, they label you opposition but I am a member of the Central Executive Committee (CEC),” he noted.
Bassajjabalaba blamed parliament for not expediting the legislation on medical insurance.
According to Bassajjabalaba it is unfortunate that Uganda has not taken up the medical insurance like it is the case in the neighboring countries like Tanzania where every age bracket has its medical insurance package.
He said the money that government is investing in running public hospitals where he said there is a lot of inefficiencies should instead be re-directed to re-enforcing the private facilities.
“Majority of the best performing hospitals across the World are private run because governments cannot manage and run the hospitals,” he said.
He explained that by adopting medical insurance it would attract private investors who would later decide to invest their money in the health sector by putting up modern facilities.
He said in Uganda’s case, there is poor management of the public hospitals and poor remuneration of the Doctors which he said it cripples service delivery.
He argued that its high time government looks into the issue of entering into partnership with the existing private hospitals especially those established by religious institutions. They include; Nsambya (catholics), Mengo (Anglicans) and Kibuli (Muslims.)
“Why can’t government allocate part of the health budget to re-enforce the above hospitals and probably have some ownership in those facilities?” he wondered.
“All that you are doing at the Cancer institute where you are investing billions of money can’t work. You are wasting time,” Bassajjabalaba castigated.
“Why would you put trillions of money in the Parish Development Model (PDM) just to be shared by people amongst themselves?” he wondered adding that, “people cannot trade with just Sh1million. If you got such money and re-enforce the private health facilities it would be of much help.”
Responding to Bassajjabalaba, the Deputy speaker of parliament Thomas Tayebwa agreed with Bassajjabalaba saying, “yes we have delayed the issue of medical insurance but you (Hassan) now have the platform and we will talk about them.” Bassajjabalaba was recently elected to the NRM ruling party’s top organ CEC which is the decision making body.
“I also concur with you on government partnering with the private sector,” the speaker added.
Tayebwa asked the ministry of health to begin the process of drafting medical insurance and present it to parliament.
In President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s message which was delivered by Tayebwa, Museveni saluted Azida for her contributions towards development and raising responsible children like Hassan and others who have greatly contributed to the country’s development in different aspects.
Speaker after speaker, Azida was described as a hardworking woman, prayerful and a businesswoman. “She knew the importance of money,” Bassajjabalaba said.
“As children, we are extreme pain. She gave us a firm foundation of religion, she taught us to work extremely hard and she would always tell us the importance of having money,” said another son Nasser Bassajjabalaba, the former Bushenyi/Ishaka Municipality MP. “She would bake pancakes and she would give each of us a basket of pancakes to go and vend on streets/in Ishaka town.”
The Bushenyi district Chairman Jaffari Bassajjabalaba said their mother has been a uniting factor and a pillar in the family. “I always compare our family to a multiparty system but she has united us,” Jaffari said.
The Bishop of Diocese of West Ankole Rt. Rev Johnson Twinomujuni saluted Azida for giving the region Uganda in particular great children especially Hassan Bassajjabalaba. “Some people are assets but others are liabilities because they just come on earth and leave without making any contribution. Uganda would have lost if Azida did not produce Hassan,” the Bishop said.
Azida’s health complications started in 1997 and since then she had undergone a number of surgeries including those of cancer and blood clots until when her heart got weakened while on medication in a German hospital where she had been admitted.
Hassan Bassajjabalaba moved mourners when he disclosed how he tried and was ready to buy a heart at any cost to save his mother but the process could not allow. End.
