MEDICS WARNED AGAINST SELLING GOV’T DRUGS

By Flavia Ajok

HOIMA: The Hoima Deputy Resident City Commissioner for East Division, Kasigazi Williams Donato, has warned proprietors of private pharmacies and clinics against selling government drugs.

Kasigazi sounded the warning just days after the National Medical Stores delivered a consignment of drugs to Hoima Regional Referral Hospital.

According to Kasigazi, the drugs are meant to be administered freely at public health facilities but are stolen and sold exorbitantly.

‘’The theft and sale of government drugs deprives the common person of the right of access to health services since medicines are meant to be administered freely at public health facilities,’’ he said.

Kasigazi disclosed that there are reports about medics who steal drugs from public health facilities and sell them in their private pharmacies, saying these are to be dealt with.

He asserted that the theft of government drugs is punishable by law, adding that they have intelligence on the ground that will help them net the suspected thieves of government drugs.

However, the Acting Director for Hoima Regional Referral Hospital, Dr. Ibrahim Bwaga, explained that sometimes the hospital lacks drugs and other medical supplies, which forces the health workers to advise patients to buy them outside the hospital.

The health expert explained that the hospital budget does not match the huge number of patients it receives, leading to frequent drug stockouts.

Dr. Bwaga therefore called for increased funding for the hospital by the government to enable it to effectively manage the number of patients it receives.

Hoima regional referral hospital is meant to serve the eight districts and one city in Bunyoro subregion but also receives patients from neighboring districts like Kiboga and Kyankwanzi, plus Congo.

Do you have a story about your community or an opinion to share with us? Email us at theugreports@gmail.com.