The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Parents whose children are stuck in China following the outbreak of coronavirus have backtracked on their earlier decision to push government to return their children.
The parents have instead asked government to fulfill its promise to support the students, saying life has become very difficult in Wuhan, the center of the outbreak.
Addressing journalists at Rock Gardens at Speke Hotel on Thursday, the representative of the up to 105 children stuck in China decried the slow response by government.
Dr. Cecilia Atim, whose child is stuck in Wuhan, said ever since Government promised to urgently rescue the students in China with up to US$ 60,000 to date nothing has happened.
She also disclosed that government has neither communicated to the parents nor the affected students officially.
Dr. Cecilia Atim disclosed that the students are facing difficulties to find food in Wuhan saying their survival is only dependent on cash.
She says they met Chinese embassy officials in Uganda who assured them that the students are safe contrary to reports that they are leaving in deplorable conditions.
She says the key thing on the parent’s minds was evacuation, but they have since discovered that it isn’t easy to do and will therefore wait on government.
She says it is unfortunate that the World Health Organisation is saying the virus is headed to be pandemic and might affect students who are isolated psychologically.
Phiona Nakayongo, who has three sisters in Wuhan, says it is Universities taking care of their own students and not the Chinese Government. She says the fear now is that evacuating students would lead to the spread of the disease.
More than 80,000 people in 40 countries and mostly China have been infected with coronavirus, which broke out in December last year. A total of 2800 people have died from the virus.
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