Theft of govt drugs rising says CAO
Oct 25, 2009
THE Rukungiri district chief administrative officer, Muhenda Rujumba, has condemned the rampant theft of government drugs from health centres.
By Caleb Bahikaho
THE Rukungiri district chief administrative officer, Muhenda Rujumba, has condemned the rampant theft of government drugs from health centres.
“According to the report I have here, the theft of drugs by our health workers is too high. Serious punishment will be given to anybody found in the act,†he said.
Rujumba said this during the annual assessment of the minimum conditions and performance measures for local governments in Rukungiri district, at the district council hall on Thursday.
It was attended by the heads of department, sub-county chiefs, sub-accountants and the LC3 chairpersons for the district.
Rujumba said the Government efforts to mark its drugs had delayed, giving chance to thieves to steal the drugs.
The district health educator, Francis Ndazarwe, said the drugs in most health centres get finished within the first two weeks of delivery.
“I don't rule out the theft of drugs in the district but also the amount of drugs located to the district is low,†Ndazarwe said.
He also said there were few health equipment in all health centres. He said two out of three health centre IVs do not have theatre equipments for operations.
The secretary of finance and administration, Deus Kamanyire, said each health centre IV received sh15m for the whole year, which was half the amount needed for a year.
“All ambulances are down because the costs of maintenance and fueling them are too high. I appeal to the central government to put a budget of maintenance and fueling of these ambulances,†he said.
Kamanyire said the decentralisation programme will never be meaningful if the central government keeps dictating on what to give each district even if it is not applicable.
THE Rukungiri district chief administrative officer, Muhenda Rujumba, has condemned the rampant theft of government drugs from health centres.
“According to the report I have here, the theft of drugs by our health workers is too high. Serious punishment will be given to anybody found in the act,†he said.
Rujumba said this during the annual assessment of the minimum conditions and performance measures for local governments in Rukungiri district, at the district council hall on Thursday.
It was attended by the heads of department, sub-county chiefs, sub-accountants and the LC3 chairpersons for the district.
Rujumba said the Government efforts to mark its drugs had delayed, giving chance to thieves to steal the drugs.
The district health educator, Francis Ndazarwe, said the drugs in most health centres get finished within the first two weeks of delivery.
“I don't rule out the theft of drugs in the district but also the amount of drugs located to the district is low,†Ndazarwe said.
He also said there were few health equipment in all health centres. He said two out of three health centre IVs do not have theatre equipments for operations.
The secretary of finance and administration, Deus Kamanyire, said each health centre IV received sh15m for the whole year, which was half the amount needed for a year.
“All ambulances are down because the costs of maintenance and fueling them are too high. I appeal to the central government to put a budget of maintenance and fueling of these ambulances,†he said.
Kamanyire said the decentralisation programme will never be meaningful if the central government keeps dictating on what to give each district even if it is not applicable.