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Pakwach District Woman MP, Jane Avur Pacuto suggested that medical personnel be brought to Parliament every few months to conduct health checks
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By Our Reporter
The Pakwach District Woman Representative, Jane Avur Pacuto, has urged the leadership of Parliament to introduce mandatory medical checkups for MPs, in a bid to reduce sudden deaths and promote regular health monitoring. Her call follows the untimely death of former Kisoro District Woman MP, Sarah Mateke, who passed away due to heart complications.
Speaking during a parliamentary session, Pacuto suggested that medical personnel be brought to Parliament every few months to conduct health checks, despite MPs already having access to medical insurance and an in-house clinic. She argued that many legislators may unknowingly be living with serious health conditions, as some are reluctant to seek medical care independently.
"It would be good if the leadership made it mandatory that after every 3 or 6 months, we have medical personnel checking on us. There are certain diseases that people may not be aware of, and many of us are reluctant to do checks on our own," said Pacuto. "It was so sad attending functions with Sarah Mateke only to hear of her sudden demise. This shows that many of us could be carrying ailments that we don’t even know about."
Elijah Okupa (Kasilo County)
However, when Pacuto raised the issue, some MPs responded with heckling, a reaction that was condemned by Kasilo County MP, Elijah Okupa. He recalled that in the past, medical teams stationed at Parliament routinely tested MPs as they arrived and left, a practice he believes should be revived.
"Last week, one of our colleagues collapsed, and we had to rush him to the hospital. What the colleague [Pacuto] is raising is a serious matter, and I don't understand why people are heckling. This pertains to all of us, and even the President has urged us to take care of our health. MPs should have the option to check their health daily if they want to," Okupa emphasized.
In response, Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa reminded MPs that Parliament already has a fully equipped clinic available for them to use for regular health checks. He encouraged all MPs to take advantage of this facility and not take their health for granted. Tayebwa also raised concerns about MPs' dietary habits, suggesting that Parliament should consider removing unhealthy foods from its meal offerings.
Tayebwa reminded MPs that Parliament already has a fully equipped clinic available for them to use for regular health checks
"You know we have a Parliamentary clinic that you can walk into at any time for simple checks. Kindly, let’s take medical checkups seriously. We can’t say Sarah died because she wasn’t checking her health—she was open about her condition. But we need to take up these checkups seriously. Also, we might need to remove chapatti, mandazi, and sugar from the breakfast package. Let’s replace them with healthier options like water and cassava," Tayebwa remarked.
The proposal for more consistent health checks has sparked a broader discussion about the importance of health management within Parliament, with many supporting the need for better health practices to ensure the well-being of all legislators.
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