The Ministry of Health has been less combative as it responded to sweeping criticisms from the public about the state of health services in the country.

Under the hashtag #UgandaHealthExhibition, the Health Sector this week is taking center stage in the ongoing social media-based protests about social services in Uganda.

Organised by cartoonist and scholar, Dr Jimmy Spire Ssentongo, the protests are geared at triggering debate and forcing accountability from the government on service delivery.

Leading up to this week’s 'expo', there had been concerns that the Ministry of Health and other line agencies including management of some government hospitals were preparing to use combative tactics to respond to the protest.

The organiser, Ssentongo, even alleged that there were plans to have him arrested.

He tweeted last weekend, “I’m aware that (Ministry of Health) is planning how to counter the forthcoming #UgandaHealthExhibition Sadly their plans do not include listening to people’s voices. They are looking at this as a battle with ungrateful Ugandans…I’m told some are asking who is funding me - which goes to show how we’ve come to think that everything is about ‘eating’ and that everything is transactional. I’m also told of plans to arrest me. Should they arrest me, proceed with the exhibition. They can’t arrest the exhibition.”

However, the Ministry of Health has been much more receptive since yesterday, resorting instead to explaining why some of the health facilities are dysfunctional; with poor funding cited as the leading cause.

The Ministry together with its spokesperson Emmanuel Ainebyoona, have since yesterday been responding directly to several of the posts about the broken health care system, and providing assurances for a better future.

“The Ministry of Health acknowledges the inadequate space for neonates at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital which explains the congestion. However, Government has prioritized to expand the hospital to address this issue,” The Ministry responded to a concern from Mbarara.

The teams have also endeavoured to disabuse some of the falsehoods shared by some individuals, and also took time to highlight a number of achievements that have been realised in the health sector so far.

As the protest carries on through the week, Ainebyoona has proposed to have a Twitter Space on the topic on the fourth day, to generate more debate.