Our healthcare needs uplifting, says Janet Museveni

The First Lady Janet Museveni (wearing hat) being briefed on how to examine a pregnant woman by students of Jinja School of Nursing and Midwifery at the school on May 24, 2018. PHOTO PHILIP WAFULA

What you need to know:

  • The Jinja West Member of Parliament (MP), Moses Balyeku, under whose constituency the school falls, asked the First Lady in her capacity as Minister of Education and Sports, to lobby for the removal of the ban on Jinja School of Nursing and Midwifery's graduands.

The First Lady, Ms Janet Museveni on Thursday said the country’s healthcare needs some uplifting which can be done if leaders are willing to make some sacrifices.
"Each one of us should be willing to make a sacrifice. Such sacrifice can be through working more hours. Sometimes it takes doing a lot more with what you have as a person than making it wait for government because government alone can't. We should all look around for solutions to all the problems we have," she said.
Ms Museveni who doubles as the Minister of Education, also urged nurses to use their skills to help the most vulnerable people in society because Nursing and Midwifery is a calling from God.
“Nursing and Midwifery is a calling from God and you ought to obey God by serving men and women who are vulnerable,” she said.
She made the remarks at Jinja School of Nursing and Midwifery in Jinja District as part of her nationwide tour on school feeding programmes and monitoring of institutions.
“If they (nurses) have that heart and know that God is watching, that would be enough. When He blesses you, it might not be the money you are looking for right now but God will find a way,” she added.
At the same function, she commissioned a water project and a 14-seater van which were funded by MMIROR, an NGO and the school’s savings association respectively. The water project, it was revealed, is going to save the school about Shs16 million in monthly water bills.

The school principal, Ms Loyce Kusolo, said they are in advanced stages of breaking away from Mbarara University of Science and Technology to which they are affiliated.

“The process is about to be completed by the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE), and once it’s done, all our nine programmes which include two Certificate programmes, six Diploma programmes and a Degree programme, will be solely under our control,” she said.

Ms Kusolo also noted that the school has received 21 additional computers, bringing their software portfolio to 62 computers and has acquired four acres of land in Namayingo District.

The Jinja West Member of Parliament (MP), Moses Balyeku, under whose constituency the school falls, asked the First Lady in her capacity as Minister of Education and Sports, to lobby for the removal of the ban on the school’s graduands.

“Madam First Lady, I request you to prevail so that whoever graduates (from this school) is immediately recruited in government jobs. We can’t recruit because currently, there is that ban,” Mr Balyeku said.

Mr Balyeku also lobbied for a supporting Hospital, saying: “It is really disappointing that such a school doesn’t have a supporting Hospital of its own.”

The function was attended by politicians, District leaders, CAOs and District Education Officers from the 10 Districts that make up Busoga sub-region among others.