Lawyer Tony Galandi Kiire has called for the introduction of a comprehensive national health insurance scheme to ensure accident victims receive timely treatment without financial barriers.
Galandi said the absence of universal health insurance leaves hospitals carrying much of the cost of treating accident victims, particularly people brought to health facilities by Good Samaritans after road crashes.
He said a national health insurance system, similar to those used in other countries, would provide a sustainable mechanism for financing emergency care while ensuring victims are treated regardless of their ability to pay.
His proposal comes amid concerns that fear of police questioning, detention or other consequences may discourage some members of the public from helping people injured in road crashes.
Galandi said Uganda’s traffic laws provide important protections for people who intervene to assist accident victims.
The Traffic and Road Safety Act, as amended in 2020, provides under Section 125A that a person involved in an accident must have access to medical treatment at a hospital, clinic or other health facility without proof of financial ability to pay until the person has been stabilised.
He said the provision should give members of the public confidence that accident victims can be taken to health facilities without first establishing whether they can afford treatment.
Galandi also referred to emergency regulations under the traffic law, saying they provide protections for Good Samaritans who intervene at accident scenes and assist victims.
He argued that police should distinguish between people suspected of causing an accident and Good Samaritans whose only involvement was rescuing an injured person.
“This nonsense of making a Samaritan turn into a suspect, I hear go, then come back here, then detain them. It makes the essence of good Samaritanship lose its essence,” Galandi said.
He said police may obtain information from a person who transports an accident victim to hospital, but argued that, where there is no evidence linking the person to the accident, the Good Samaritan should ordinarily be allowed to leave after providing a statement and contact details for any further inquiries.
Galandi called for greater sensitisation of police officers about the legal protections available to Good Samaritans, saying treating people who help accident victims as suspects could discourage others from intervening during emergencies.
He said the public should instead be encouraged to act quickly because delays in getting injured people to medical facilities can worsen their condition.
The lawyer also linked the issue of Good Samaritan protection to the wider question of how emergency healthcare is financed.
Uganda’s National Emergency Medical Services Policy already recognises the need for alternative financing mechanisms for emergency medical services, including insurance schemes, and calls for both pre-hospital and hospital emergency care to be financed through the proposed National Health Insurance Scheme and other funding mechanisms.
The Ministry of Health’s current health-sector planning also provides for the establishment and operationalisation of a National Health Insurance Scheme, with plans for legislative approval, institutional structures, provider accreditation and phased enrolment.
Galandi said such a system would help hospitals recover the costs of emergency treatment while removing the financial uncertainty that can arise when patients arrive without money or insurance.
He argued that hospitals should not be forced to choose between treating critically injured patients and worrying about who will ultimately pay for their care.
The issue is particularly important in road crashes, where victims often require immediate surgery, blood transfusion, imaging, intensive care and other expensive interventions before their ability to pay can be established.
Galandi said stronger legal awareness, emergency response systems and sustainable financing would encourage members of the public to intervene when they encounter road crashes.
He maintained that the priority at an accident scene should be saving lives, with investigations and determination of responsibility following through the appropriate legal procedures.
His proposals highlight the need to strengthen Uganda’s emergency medical system while ensuring that both accident victims and Good Samaritans are adequately protected.