A Ugandan minister who died on his way home from an official visit to South Korea was covered by health insurance during his stay here, officials said Tuesday, refuting claims he could not receive proper medical attention.
  

Gen. Aronda Nyakairima, Uganda's interior minister and former army chief of staff, died Sept. 12 on a plane from South Korea to Dubai en route to Uganda. He was 56.
  

The minister visited South Korea from Sept. 8-11 at the invitation of the Korea Foundation. Following a postmortem examination, the Ugandan government announced that the cause of death was heart failure, according to news reports.
  

However, during a memorial service for the late minister last week, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni reportedly blamed South Korea for denying Aronda proper medical care due to his lack of health insurance even though he had complained of a stomachache and dizziness.
  

A South Korean government official refuted the claim.
  

"We are in the process of determining the relevant details," he said, speaking on condition of anonymity. "According to the foundation, the claim that the minister wished to receive hospital care during his stay but could not get proper medical attention without health insurance is different from the truth."
 
 
All those who were invited by the foundation, including Aronda, were covered by traveler's insurance, which includes health insurance, the official added.
  

Citing a separate probe by the foundation, the South Korean Embassy in Uganda said Aronda took digestive medicine during his stay in South Korea but turned down an offer to visit a hospital. The embassy has delivered its position to the Ugandan government and requested it to refrain from making any misleading remarks.
 

"We are in talks with the Ugandan government over this case," said an embassy official. (Yonhap)