According to a Statement released by the Savannah Regional Police Spokesperson, unknown persons broke into the stores of the center and stole the drugs in the night.
Police in Nakasongola district have arrested a local security
guard at Lwabiyata Health Center 11 to help in investigations after unknown
thieves broke into the facility store and stole government drugs.
The suspect has been identified as Ronald Kazibwe Tibayungana
aged 55 years, an askari deployed at Lwabiyata Health Center 11 in Lwabiyata sub
county.
According to a Police Statement released by Sam Twineamazima
the Savannah Regional Police Spokesperson, unknown persons broke into the stores of the health
center and stole the drugs on night on Sunday night.
Twineamazima says that upon getting a report from the officer in
Charge of the Health Center, Police immediately arrested the askari to help in
investigations and recover the drugs that were stolen and to apprehend the
culprits.
Robert Kalanzi the LC 3 Chairman of Lwabiyata Sub County
says that the health workers noticed the theft after checking the stores and
found the drugs missing on Monday morning.
Kalanzi says that currently patients are being turned away
over the lack of drugs at the health center and asked the district to replenish till another consignment from National Medical Stores or for the Police to recover those stolen.
Dr Agaba Byamukama the Nakasongola District Health Officer
explains that thieves disappeared with malaria testing kits, Coartem tablets
and Amoxil capsules.
Byamukama adds that they waiting for Police investigations
into the matter but for now, the health center can still operate with other drugs
that were left in the store.
“There are some drugs that were not stolen and they can run
the facility as we look elsewhere to replenish," Dr Agaba told URN. "However, we ask the
public to volunteer information on people who stole the drugs so that we
apprehend them.”
In June, 2023 The Police and National Drug Authority arrested
a midwife at Luwero Hospital for alleged theft of government drugs worth five
million shillings.
In 2019, Two health workers at Nakasongola Health Center IV
were arrested for stealing Hepatitis B Vaccines worth 20 million shillings.
According to Sauti za Wanaichi National baseline survey on
Ugandans' experiences of basic public services released by Twaweza Uganda in
2018, the second most commonly encountered problem at government health
facilities is a lack of medicines or other supplies.
Its believed that some drugs delivered by National Medical
Stores end up stolen leaving patients complaining of drug stockouts in health
centers.
