Uganda drugs stolen, sold in DRC

Kasese District chairman Lt Col (Rtd) Mawa Muhindo (in army uniform) and other officials seize government drugs found in a private drug shop in Mpondwe Town recently. File Photo.

What you need to know:

Caught in the act. Officials from State House Health Monitoring Unit said they intercepted government drugs at Mpondwe –lhubiriha border enroute to DR Congo.

Kasese. The State House Health Monitoring Unit team has said government medicines are being sold in DR Congo by health workers in Kasese District.
They gave the report to Kasese District stakeholders and health officials at Kasese Multipurpose Hall on Friday.
Dr Pontiano Jjumba, the assistant director of State House Health Monitoring Unit, said the rate of theft of drugs was alarming. He said they intercepted government drugs at Mpondwe –lhubiriha border enroute to DR Congo.

Health workers on the spot
He said the health workers are either accomplices in the scum or they are often absent from their duty stations when the drugs are stolen.
“If you went to DR Congo now, you would see what we are telling you, every drug you ask for in the drug shops and clinics has the “UG” label, meaning that it is our health workers who sell the drugs there. Whoever does not explain how drugs are used at his or her health facility will be punished,” Dr Jjumba warned.
He noted that at Bwera Hospital laboratories, the attendants were using expired reagents, thus putting people’s lives at risk.
Kasese deputy Resident District Commissioner Aminadabu Muhindo warned that government would investigate the matter and will not leave any stone unturned. He directed sub-county chiefs to intensify supervision of government programmes in their respective duty stations or face the consequences.
Other challenges facing the health department, according to the health monitors, include absenteeism, irregular charging of money from patients, mistreatment, unwillingness to hand over office and poor record keeping.

About the unit
The State House Health Monitoring Unit was established by President Museveni in 2010 to check theft of medical supplies from public health facilities. It has unearthed several unscrupulous dealings in the drug-supply chain from the National Medical Stores to public health facilities.