The Director NMS, Moses Kambare and PRO Sheilla.. showing reporters features of government packed medicines
By George Bukenya
Government Medical workers steal drugs using coffins as packing containers and supply them to private pharmacies in the different parts of the country.
This was revealed to the media by the Director National Medical Stores (NMS) Moses Kambare at the launch of a national wide media campaign against drug pilferage at Uganda Media Centre today.
He said that some medical workers connive with owners of the private pharms where they sale the drugs and its these people who use such tricks like carrying a coffin in pretense that its carrying a dead body yet there are boxes of drugs stolen from the government hospital pharmacies.
“ Errant Medical Workers have been conniving with some private pharmacy owners who use coffins to steal government drugs. We have evidence and we have apprehended these culprits and aligned them to court some have been dismissed,’’ Kambare revealed.
He further said that the current law regarding criminalizing culprits is very weak because it gives them lenient punishments, for instance, ‘’currently, when someone steals medicines worth UGX 200 million, they can walk away with a fine of about UGX 5 million.’’
“ In the new bill that is about to be tabled on the floor of Parliament we recommended that whoever is found with stolen government drugs and other supplies should be given a fine which is three times the value of the commodities they are caught with.’’
Kambare also re-echoed that drugs and other medical supplies like ‘maama’ kits are free of charge and he argued clients who go to hospital for the services to report errant medical official who ask them to pay for the kits using toll free number 0800 200 447.
The Director General of Health Services at the Ministry of Health Dr. Charles Olara said that stealing of drugs is done through bulky and in small quantities. He however said that the ministry has introduced the electronic medical supply system aimed at curbing down the challenge of drug safety.
Front raw Moses Kambare holding box, Dr. Warren Namara center and Dr. Charles Olaro and Rusoke Kituuma Police PRO with other government officials
This system helps to monitor the orders and how the medical supplies live the source, NMS to the government hospital pharmacies and how they are distributed to the beneficiaries.
“ The forthcoming National Drug AND Health Products Authority Bill will be a game changer, with stringent penalties and special provisions for those entrusted with government medicines.’’
Dr. Warren Namara the head of State House Health Monitoring said that his unit in the last two years has recovered medicines and equipment worth over UGX 1.5 billion and in 2021 UGX 6.2 billion worth of drugs and equipment were recovered and many cases are in court
“ We try our level best to monitor and fight stealing of medicines and equipments from government medical facilities but we face a challenge of proving such in courts and the units have lost many cases.
He called on journalist to do investigative journalism to help government nab such culprits so as to eradicate the challenge completely.
The Police’s mouth piece who also attended the media briefing, ACP Rusoke Kituuma pledge to protect whistle blowers and journalist who will be giving information leading to arrest of suspects.