MPs Barred from Visiting Ebola Prone Districts

MPs Barred from Visiting Ebola Prone Districts.
MPs Task Ministry of Health to Scale Up Awareness.

The Deputy Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa has issued a directive barring members of Parliament from visiting districts that have recorded cases of Ebola.
Tayebwa Cautioned that such visits may spread the deadly virus into Parliament.

Tayebwa issued the warning during today’s plenary sitting where he stated that Uganda has continued to register more cases of ebola, yet there are many Members of Parliament from infected areas who are continuing to visit their constituencies.

However, the Deputy Speaker was not clear on how the ban will be imposed, leaving it to self-regulation among MPs meaning staff and other MPs in Parliament are at the mercy of the conscience of the lawmakers.

Reacting to the directive, legislators from greater Mubende were left puzzled with several unanswered questions, wondering how they will help in the coordination of response activities in their constituencies while in Kampala. However, they underscored the need to stay away from their constituents as a measure to avoid crowding.

MPs have however called on the ministry of health to step up awareness in affected communities and supply protective gear to health centers in Greater Mudende where the Ebola outbreak was reported by the ministry of health.