The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The police have uncovered a consignment of medicines from a private clinic in Nansana-Gganda in Wakiso district. The medicines which were found in Broch medical services had labels from Joint Medical Stores Nsambya, Government of Uganda, and USAID.
Kampala Metropolitan Deputy police spokesperson Luke Owoyesigyire said the drugs were recovered during an operation mounted in the area following a tip-off from locals about vehicles seen ferrying suspected stolen drugs in the area. According to residents, the drugs were offloaded from trucks at around 5 pm on Thursday.
He said that the police led by the Officer in Charge of the Criminal Investigations Directorate at Nansana Police Station responded in time and found that part of the consignment was still loaded on a parked tipper. They impounded the vehicle and also arrested a nurse who was in the facility at the time of the raid.
“We arrested the nurse at the clinic identified as Patient Kalenzi, investigations to establish other vehicles that took other boxes of drugs is ongoing,” Owoyesigyire said, adding that the facility is under guard, while the National Drug Authority and Ministry of Health investigate the origin of the drugs.
On several occasions, Uganda has witnessed an outcry on shortage of medicines in government facilities forcing patients to buy the same from private pharmacies and clinics. Investigations have indicated that many of the pharmacies and clinics are owned by mostly doctors from the government facilities or government officials with a connection to the Ministry of Health.
*****
URN
These thieves have thrived because they are connected. If they were treated like chicken thieves, they would have stopped the habit. I am waiting to see how the law will bite.