Health center III in-charge arrested for alleged theft of Covid-19 testing kits

Rwamapara , Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The in-charge of Mwizi health center III in Rwamapara district has been arrested for allegedly stealing Covid-19 rapid testing kits.

Fredrick Byanyima was arrested on Wednesday by Resident District Commissioner Emmy Katera Turyabagyenyi. He is currently detained at Nyeihanga police post.

Rwampara district received 1,300 rapid testing kits from the Ministry of Health and were distributed to four health facilities. They are Kinoni health centre IV, Ndeija health centre III, Bugamba health centre II and Mwizi health center III.

According to Katera, Mwizi health centre III received only 250 kits packed in 10 packets.

He adds that his office is investigating the whereabouts of three missing packets.

He says that records at the store indicate that the three packets containing 100 testing kits were purportedly issued on Friday by Byanyima to Charles Mugisha, a health officer at the district health department. Katera says that the signature of the health officer was forged as the recipient of the kits

Godfrey Sande, the LC III chairperson Mwizi sub-county and member of the sub-county task force says that they have received several complaints from residents of not being tested despite the sub-county receiving the testing kits.

When contacted, Mugisha denied receiving the testing kits from Byanyima.

This is the second time Byanyima has been arrested for alleged theft. Early this year, he was implicated in the disappearance of mattresses and beds from the facility.

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