Health officials held over drugs
Oct 15, 2009
FOUR Gulu municipality health officials have been arrested following more irregularities in the distribution of Coartem, an anti-malaria drug, from the National Medical Stores.
By Oketch Bitek and Charles Mukiibi
FOUR Gulu municipality health officials have been arrested following more irregularities in the distribution of Coartem, an anti-malaria drug, from the National Medical Stores.
The storekeeper, Bernard Nyeko, the officer in charge of Layibi-Techo health centre, Robert Acaye, two workers from Aywee health centre, Jennifer Lanyero and Maryline Ajok, were arrested on Monday and paraded before journalists at Gulu Central Police Station.
The arrests were headed by Gulu deputy resident district commissioner Milton Odongo and district internal security officer Julius Muhairwe.
Gulu municipal health officer Dr. Ongom Oola, who supervises the distribution of drugs, is also under investigation.
Oola had told The New Vision in an earlier interview that the problem arose out of irregularities in packing and documenting the consignments.
But security officials believe that the extra boxes are deliberately concealed in the official consignments and sold off by a racket of health officials.
Before the arrests, 15 excess boxes of Coartem had been delivered to Laroo and Layibi-Techo health centres. The extra boxes had not been recorded by the municipal storekeeper.
Laroo officially received 43 boxes but security operatives discovered seven more boxes, while at Layibi–Techo, eight extra boxes were found.
“We have today (Monday) launched an operation code-named ‘Operation Government Drug Coartem’ and it is working very well,†Odongo said in his office.
Muhairwe said the drug is on high demand due to increasing malaria cases in the region. Odongo explained that the stolen drugs are sold in Southern Sudan. “The demand for Coartem is very high in Southern Sudan and it is very expensive there.â€
FOUR Gulu municipality health officials have been arrested following more irregularities in the distribution of Coartem, an anti-malaria drug, from the National Medical Stores.
The storekeeper, Bernard Nyeko, the officer in charge of Layibi-Techo health centre, Robert Acaye, two workers from Aywee health centre, Jennifer Lanyero and Maryline Ajok, were arrested on Monday and paraded before journalists at Gulu Central Police Station.
The arrests were headed by Gulu deputy resident district commissioner Milton Odongo and district internal security officer Julius Muhairwe.
Gulu municipal health officer Dr. Ongom Oola, who supervises the distribution of drugs, is also under investigation.
Oola had told The New Vision in an earlier interview that the problem arose out of irregularities in packing and documenting the consignments.
But security officials believe that the extra boxes are deliberately concealed in the official consignments and sold off by a racket of health officials.
Before the arrests, 15 excess boxes of Coartem had been delivered to Laroo and Layibi-Techo health centres. The extra boxes had not been recorded by the municipal storekeeper.
Laroo officially received 43 boxes but security operatives discovered seven more boxes, while at Layibi–Techo, eight extra boxes were found.
“We have today (Monday) launched an operation code-named ‘Operation Government Drug Coartem’ and it is working very well,†Odongo said in his office.
Muhairwe said the drug is on high demand due to increasing malaria cases in the region. Odongo explained that the stolen drugs are sold in Southern Sudan. “The demand for Coartem is very high in Southern Sudan and it is very expensive there.â€