Africa-Press – Uganda. Ruling NRM party Secretary General, Richard Todwong has said there is need to institute measures to curb drug theft in lower health facilities which has led to a shortage of human medicines in government health facilities across the country.
“We have been hearing a lot of cries from the countryside on insufficient drugs in health centres. The problem might be in how these drugs are managed in those health centres,” he said.
Mr Todwong made the remarks while addressing journalists after a tour of the National Medical Stores (NMS) in Entebbe on Friday.
Mr Todwong who toured the stores together with a few legislators from the NRM secretariat said: “From what we have seen, the NMS has been supplying medicines to all health centres timely- based on the requisition they receive. We have seen trucks loading drugs, trucks coming back from delivery, piles of medicines in the stores.’’
According to him, ‘‘the problem is not with NMS.’’
But Gulu City West MP, Ojara Mapenduzi, urged the government to penalize health workers in government health facilities for stealing medicines.
“The systems and operations of NMS are air tight but when you go down to health centres, they say there are no drugs. They place orders and drugs don’t come on time.’’
The Agago District woman MP, Ms Beatrice Akello Akori said there is need to ensure security for the drugs at the time of delivery at the health centres.
The NMS General Manager, Moses Kamabare said leaders told leaders to always make information on drug deliveries available to masses.
“Once the medicines are delivered to the health centres, we discharge our responsibility,” he said.
“We expect that after we have delivered the way we have kept the medicines safe in the warehouse. District leaders should put in place structures to keep the medicines which in terms of value are the biggest cost to government in a year,” he disclosed.
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