Africa-Press – Uganda. Police in Jinja City have arrested two suspects in connection to the theft of at least 100 oxygen cylinders that were supplied to Jinja Regional Referral Hospital at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The case of missing cylinders came to light following a routine audit of all the equipment at the hospital.
The Kiira Region Police Spokesperson, Mr James Mubi, on Wednesday said the suspects’ identities had deliberately been concealed so as not to interfere with their investigations which might lead to more arrests.
“Police have arrested two suspects and recovered 15 oxygen cylinders; we, however, can neither reveal where they [cylinders] were recovered from nor the suspects’ identities as of now,” Mr Mubi said.
The missing oxygen cylinders are part of a consignment that was supplied to the hospital by National Medical Stores (NMS), while others were donations from well-wishers to the Covid-19 cause in Busoga sub-region.
Sources, however, cite alleged lack of vigilance and complacency among some hospital staff as a precipitation for the theft.
“Some staff, for unknown reasons, failed to take up their assigned roles and protect some of the hospital property, and because of their complacency, vehicles were never checked when staff drove in and out of the facility,” the source said.
The acting Hospital Director, Dr Angela Namala, declined to comment on the matter, saying the case is being investigated by police.
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