Nurses, cleaners arrested over drug theft at Kawempe hospital

The Statehouse Anti-corruption Unit last evening arrested three nurses and two cleaners at Kawempe Referral Hospital over alleged theft of medicines meant to be administered freely to patients.

This followed several complaints from patients to the hospital director.

The stolen drugs are injectable antibiotics and painkillers mostly used on patients that have undergone operations.

Government drugs are embossed with inscriptions “not for sale” and are prescribed and given to patients free of charge at gazetted public health facilities.

Many a time when desperate patients go to seek medical attention, they are referred to private clinics and medical centres to buy drugs and are charged exorbitantly and some of these health centres are owned by government health officials.

Grace Lubaale, an administrator at the hospital noted that there were a lot of complaints from the patients, an issue which was not taken lightly by the management.

“I was summoned to the office and told how a patient had consistently called to complain about the sale of drugs by our staff," she said.

Lubaale said the incident involved three nurses and two cleaners who had been keeping the medicines in the dressing room and toilets.

"It is unacceptable and that is why we came in as an administration,” said Lubaale.

Working with the police, the State House Anti-corruption arrested the three nurses with assorted government drugs which they had allegedly stolen from Mulago Hospital, Kawempe.