Look Closely

Last Sunday evening I was at the bus stop next to the motor-bike stage (read: Boda-boda stage) in my home area –Gaba, when two fine and smartly dressed ladies showed up, basing on their dressing they were heading to a party or an event. Though the oddity that showed on their faces it seemed like none of them knew where the exact location of the venue was. It is a common norm of many people, when they are not sure about the location of a venue, they call a boda guy from within and without fail he takes them there, skipping the hustles to ask people around for directions and all; very convenient, no?

The ladies called a boda guy and said “We are going to KK Beach, how much if we are to sit on one bike?” The boda guy looked surprised how these two didn’t know how adjacent the place they were going to was and yet wanted to use a boda. But also that was an opportunity for him to exploit them, with a bold voice he said “If I am taking you both, that will be UgShs. 4,000” The ladies looked at each other and agreed to take the boda, as they sat the boda guy said “You pay before we go” One of them reached out into her money pass and paid him. The boda guy did a low speed and took them to KK Beach gate that was just at the corner of the road right there –a short walk-able distance. He told them “We are here”. The ladies got off the boda sighing with a feeling of being cheated, but they couldn’t do anything (Goods and Services once sold they are not returnable). In just a split second the boda guy turned and went away.

If only they had asked the people around, they wouldn’t have been cheated, yes? I mean they would be informed and they would have made the right decision. In relation to this story, I was at a health centre (Why I was at a health centre that is another story for another day) this week and I was in the doctor’s room and just behind the doctor’s seat on the wall, was a framed chart that had the rights of the client when receiving services. So as the doctor explained my eyes were glued at the chart, I don’t know if it was just me, but besides a few (only three), many of these rights were new to me. They included;

1. Information
2. Access
3. Choice
4. Safety
5. Privacy
6. Confidentiality
7. Dignity
8. Comfort
9. Continuity
10. Opinion

The framed charted behind the doctor’s seat at Reproductive Health Uganda Photo Credit: Edgar @ntemid

Look closely, do you know that when you go to a health centre as a client/patient you have those rights? How many did you know and how many don’t you know? You don’t have to answer that. Information is key in all aspects of life, though health information takes priority, because making informed choices for your health is vital for you and your family, no?

I believe the information one knows becomes a voice to that person.