Luweero health department to be audited

Jun 03, 2009

Primary health care state minister James Kakooza has ordered a special audit for the Luweero district health department, following a weekend impromptu visit, which exposed mismanagement in health centres.

By Frederick Kiwanuka

Primary health care state minister James Kakooza has ordered a special audit for the Luweero district health department, following a weekend impromptu visit, which exposed mismanagement in health centres.

Kakooza, who visited the district health unit at Kasana county and three health centres in Bamunanika, was shocked to find them without drugs, including Coartem, the recommended malaria drug that is acquired free of charge from the National Medical Stores.

Kakooza was also shocked to hear that the director of health services lived in Kampala. The minister complained about the poor storage of drugs at Kasana Health Centre, which he said was like ‘a retail shop in Kikuubo’.

He added that the medical store at the district health unit had expired drugs. The patients complained that they were buying paraffin to light up the wards and paid for most of the prescribed drugs.

Kakooza, who was accompanied by the resident district commissioner, Geoffrey Kyomukama, said the health department ‘lacked a supervisory role’.

“Coartem is available, but they do not ask for it,” he said. Kakooza said the health department was given sh223m every year for drugs, but the money made no impact on the ground.

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