Two wrongs don’t make a right
What you need to know:
- The issue: Right to healthcare
- Our view: Our constitution is adequate enough to deal with homosexuality according to the laws of the land which outlaw any unnatural offences, described as any sexual acts against the order of nature, without any unlawful additions in form of denying people access to healthcare.
The Deputy Commander Land Forces Maj Gen Francis Takirwa’s call to health workers to stop treating homosexuals in public health facilities is eyebrow raising.
Maj Gen Takirwa made the statement on Sunday when the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) commissioned and handed over different projects to Mbarara District residents at the headquarters in Bwizibwera.
“Don’t use our health facilities to treat homosexuals, someone comes with pampers leaking and wants treatment because he made a decision as if he didn’t have brains. No. No. This is too much and unacceptable,” Maj Gen Takirwa said. (See Daily Monitor February 7, “Don’t treat homosexuals in our facilities, says Maj Gen Takirwa”
While homosexuality is outlawed in Uganda, basic human rights are not and health is a fundamental human right.
According to the Constitution of the World Health Organisation, the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being without distinction of race, religion, and political belief, economic or social condition. Therefore denying healthcare to individuals suspected to be homosexuals because of the nature of their ailment is wrong and against the principles that govern humanity.
Our constitution is adequate enough to deal with homosexuality according to the laws of the land which outlaw any unnatural offences, described as any sexual acts against the order of nature, without any unlawful additions in form of denying people access to healthcare.
While the vigilance to fight homosexuality especially following stories of innocent learners being initiated into gay activities with monetary enticements is appreciated, we cannot seek to right what our society deems wrong with another wrong. This would tantamount to taking the law in our hands.
It is possible for us to uphold our values and shun that which we consider an evasion of our culture without trampling basic human rights.
Finally and not in any way trying to trivialize the cry against promotion of gay activities, it would be refreshing to see us rise up as one against other illegal practices such as corruption and other forms of abuse with as much vigor as we have homosexuality. We would definitely be better for it, of course, as long as we fight within the confines of the law.
