The Ministry of Health says that mandatory HIV testing for patients in public health facilities will not begin just yet.

Some media have been circulating information that all patients accessing services at public health centres and hospitals will also be subjected to mandatory HIV tests.

"Nothing like mandatory HIV testing is going to be done in public health facilities because we still have a lot of gaps to fill," Rukia Nakamatte, the ministry's spokesperson says.

"Mandatory testing would be quite expensive and we do not have the money yet." ?She says the ministry would have to put in place structures to enable the testing, train staff and address human rights issues regarding forcing individuals to test, before rolling out the programme.