Africa-Press – Uganda. Police in Apac District are holding five employees of Kidilani Health Centre II and Chegere Health Centre III, both in Chegere Sub-county, over theft of drugs.
The suspects were arrested after a team from the National Drug Authority (NDA) on Tuesday inspected the two facilities and discovered that drugs worth Shs30 million were missing.
The Apac Resident District Commissioner (RDC), Mr Emmanuel Ngabirano, who led the NDA team, on Tuesday said: “When we visited the facilities, we found that they had not been broken into. So this showed it [the theft] was an inside job.”
“Five suspects, including the security guard at Chegere Health Centre III, and the officers-in-charge of the stores, are locked up at Apac Central Police Station,” he added.
Security guard on the run
Mr Ngabirano said the officer-in-charge of Kidilani Health Centre II is on the run. “At Chegere Health Centre III, we arrested three people and the security guard is also on the run.”
The missing medicines include, among others, 250 boxes of Coartem, 20 containers of amoxicillin capsule and 50 parks of malaria testing kits.
The North Kyoga regional police spokesperson, Mr Patrick Okema, said charges of burglary and theft have been preferred against the suspects.
Theft of drugs has crippled the operations of three health centres in Apac District. The affected health facilities are Atar Health Centre II in Apac Sub-county, Kidilani Health Centre II and Chegere Health Centre III in Chegere Sub-county.
Kidilani Health Centre II and Chegere Health Centre III serve six parishes with an estimated population of 20,000 people, according to the outgoing Chegere Sub-county chairman, Mr Robert Atim.
Unknown people broke into Atar Health Centre II in March and stole medicines worth Shs4 million.
At the time of the incident, a security guard at the facility was reportedly on leave. A nurse who was on duty on the fateful day was arrested but was later released on police bond.
The Apac District Health Officer (DHO), Dr Leone Oceng, confirmed that two suspects were arrested following the theft of drugs at Atar Health Centre II. They were, however, granted police bond as investigation into the matter continues.
Activists speak out
Mr Tom Superman Opwonya, the executive director of Apac Anti-Corruption Coalition, said drug theft is one of the biggest challenges affecting health service delivery in Lango Sub-region.
“From our intervention, especially in the health sector in Apac District, we have observed situations where medicines meant for public health units have ended up in private facilities,” Mr Opwonya said in a telephone interview on Wednesday.
He noted that in most cases, suspects are apprehended but later released on police bond.
“For the case for Chawente Health Centre III, the suspect was exonerated and he was even suing the facility yet he was got with a lot of the stolen drugs,” Mr Opwonya added.
