President Museveni greeting Bolivia MP Roja Carita Cristina after opening the conference at Hotel Africana

By Milton Olupot

THE Government will amend the law so that people suspected of stealing government drugs cannot be released on bail until their cases are disposed of.

Opening a parliamentary conference on maternal and newborn health in Kampala yesterday, President Yoweri Museveni said rampant drug theft in Uganda was partly responsible for the high maternal and child mortality rates.

“In Uganda, we have been fighting corruption and we have set up a unit in my office to check the theft of drugs. I am looking at amending the law, even if it means amending the Constitution, to stop bail for people who steal drugs.

“By stealing drugs, these are indirectly killing people. They should be on remand for a mandatory period of 180 days so that at the end of the mandatory remand period, somebody is convicted,” he said.

Museveni recently said he had identified some people who steal money, fuel, drugs and overprice contracts. He said the public would hear of the casualties soon.

The conference was organised by the Parliament of Uganda, the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the World Health Organisation (WHO). It is attended by participants from over 21 countries.

WHO estimates that every minute a woman dies due to complications during pregnancy and childbirth, leading to more than 500,000 maternal deaths per year.

About four million children die per year. Sixty-eight countries, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia, account for 97% of the deaths.

Museveni said an eight -point plan was in place although it had not been implemented due to differences in views. The plan, he said, includes adequate distribution of health units, with a unit per sub-county.

Deployment of at least six people, including two qualified medical assistants, one dealing with AIDS, a midwife and two nurses, one dealing in public health and immunisation and the other on general duties in each unit

Museveni called for the sensitisation of the local population, especially against child marriages which he said contributed a lot to maternal and child mortality.

The President also said nutrition of pregnant mothers must be taken care of seriously.

He said the local population should be sensitised in simple language if they are to embrace safe motherhood.