MP Rwebyambu emphasize carrying Patients not dead bodies in Gov’t ambulances

Amos Tayebwa

Mbarara

According to the directive from the Ministry of Health that donates Government Ambulances, the public is encouraged to use them to carry only Patients instead of dead bodies from homes or health facilities.

This made the Woman Member of Parliament for Mbarara District, Margret Rwebyambu to top her voice and emphasized that the Ambulance that was handed over to Rubindi Health Center III is meant to save lives and not transporting dead bodies nor private luggage.

This call was made during the handover ceremony of a brand new Class B Ambulance for Kashari North Constituency which was put at Rubindi Health Center III.

The handover ceremony that occurred on Thursday this week at Rubindi H/C III was officiated by MP Rwebyambu, the Woman MP Mbarara District in conjunction with some top District Officials who include the Chief Administrative Officer, David Muhwezi, the DHO, Political Leaders and other Stakeholders who witnessed the function.

This Ambulance was donated by the ministry of Health on the combined efforts of the two Area Members of Parliament, Rwebyambu and the Kashari North County MP Bazil Bataringaya who used their lobbying skills to get this donation achieved for the People of Kashari North and the entire District.

It is a full complete intensive care ambulance that is well made for patients who are in critical conditions that require referral. 

According to MP Rwebyambu, the donation and the handing over of this ambulance is purposely to reduce maternal health challenges. She adds that it is not only for women but everyone that can use this Ambulance in case of any issue that would require a referral.

But most especially is meant for maternal health because most people that get issues are women who are going to deliver, but it could also be for accident, it could also be for any other attack to a human being as far as health is concerned.  

“When we were giving out this Ambulance, the DHO and the CAO, following the directive from the ministry said that this ambulance is not there to carry dead bodies and I also emphasize on it, the reason is that this ambulance is a min-hospital if I could say or an ICU inside there, so even if you open it and see for sure unless someone dies from there but there is no room for where dead bodies can be placed. And in reality we are putting up these Ambulances to save lives, and dead bodies are already dead bodies, you might be carrying a dead body to Rukungiri or Kabale or elsewhere and then there is someone who needs to be taken to the Hospital to secure a life, now if you are carrying the dead body taking to somewhere and you miss out on securing someone’s life, do you see that there is an issue there? So that’s why we are discouraging these ambulances to begin carrying dead bodies” said MP Rwebyambu.

“And I want to appeal to people outside there that in case you call any of the leaders or the ambulance driver and say they are not going to take the dead body it is a directive right from the ministry of health” she added.

MP Rwebyambu has also condemned the tendency of political criticism and demonizing the achievements of some leaders. Rwebyambu appealed to the public that they should give credit where it is due.

“If there is this ambulance that I and my colleague MP Bazil have lobbied from Government and it is here to help the people give it a credit because it is a live testimony, it is there and there is no way how you will tell people that it is not there, so politicking and demonizing someone, or to downplay whatever someone does I don’t think it is good politics but I believe the people that mandated us have eyes to see and at the end of it all will decide whether what am doing is right, whether what they sent me for is what am doing for them or not”  said Rwbyambu, the Mbarara District Woman MP.