Four health workers attached to Malera Health Centre III and Kabarwa Health Centre III in Bukedea District have been arrested and detained at Bukedea Central Police Station for allegedly stealing medical supplies.

The arrests followed an audit conducted by the State House Health Monitoring Unit (HMU), which uncovered discrepancies in medical supply records.

According to Dr Jerome Mpaata Owagage, Assistant Director at HMU, the audit revealed that 12 boxes of testing kits and other laboratory materials were missing from Malera Health Centre III.

When questioned, health workers claimed the facility's limited storage space forced them to store supplies elsewhere. However, when the HMU team returned to inspect the returned supplies, they found that the batch numbers belonged to stock meant for Kabarwa Health Centre III, not Malera Health Centre III.

"The staff eventually admitted they had taken the items from Kabarwa Health facility to give false accountability," Dr Mpaata explained. The HMU team immediately conducted an audit at Kabarwa Health Centre III and found that its store had been emptied, with critical supplies, including Determine test kits, transferred to Malera Health Centre III.

As a result, two staff members from Malera Health Centre III will face charges of abuse of office and embezzlement under the Anti-Corruption Act, while the staff from Kabarwa Health Centre III will be charged with conspiracy to commit a crime.

"All the suspects failed to account for the missing medical items," Dr Mpaata added.

Bukedea Resident District Commissioner Wilberforce Tukei condemned the theft, stating, "Stealing drugs is not acceptable. President Museveni has spoken against this on multiple occasions. Those who have been caught will face the full force of the law. They are currently in police custody, which is the right place for them."

Human rights activist Juliet Aluka expressed concern over the persistent issue of drug theft in public health facilities, calling it one of the most pressing challenges the government must urgently address.

"Drug theft is a major problem that the government needs to fight seriously. Combating this vice across the country is difficult because some health workers have devised new ways to cover their tracks," Ms Aluka said.

The Inspectorate of Government (IGG) has highlighted the pervasive issue of drug theft in Uganda's public health facilities, identifying it as a significant form of corruption that undermines the healthcare system and endangers public health.

According to the IGG's 2021 report, theft or embezzlement of medicines and equipment is the most common form of corruption in Uganda's healthcare sector, leading to the diversion of essential drugs from public health facilities to private clinics or unauthorised markets, depriving patients of necessary treatments.