Government is planning to set up a system which will not dispense drugs to patients without national IDs, according to the health minister Jane Aceng.

The minister said a software is being developed and will be rolled out countrywide.

The move has caused outrage on social media.

Read Also: IHK responds to alleged negligence after death of Nambaziira

The plan is aimed at keeping track of patients medical records and ease accountability of medical supplies to improve health care.

Uganda's population is about 40 million people but about 19 million people registered for the national IDs and at least 14 million people received them.

There is a bill before Parliament that seeks to improve the quality of healthcare services and empower patients to participate in the process of seeking or receiving healthcare.

The bill also seeks to operationalise introduction of medical technologies and prohibit health service providers to detain patients for nonpayment of medical bills.

Reactions on social media

Social media users have vented on the government's plan with mixed reactions -- many believe it's a set back to providing quality health care.

"The id issuing office is a mess, why then make this a must for one to get drugs when you've failed to issue the card in time"

"Its agood idea but people without national ID's will suffer, and i hope the govt should wait because some people are still preccessing on their id's, besides those ones lost theirs"

"For sure! NRM  is becoming mad what about those young kids who haven't received national"

"Which services if one can't find even paracetamol in your health facilities? And how on earth one would be issued with a national ID which has expiry date as if my being a Ugandan end in 2025, nothing is serious in this xtry"

"Why don't you give each district to produce it's national Ids other than giving people ulcers just but as for treatment case, don't remember when I Iast got medication from a government facility"

"Haahaa social injustice health doesn't have boundaries and this can't even solve the health problems in this country health equipment's and brain drain please first address these problems"

"Most of national IDs are soon expiring yet almost a half of Ugandans don't have. Or if I don't have it where is the registration centre , I think this is a joke"