Medic uses cover of Liberation Day celebrations to steal drugs from gov't health centre

By Richard Oyel 

Police have arrested a health worker over theft of government drugs.

Obwor Bosco, a medic at Sidok Health Centre is currently detained at Kaabong Police station days after a surveillance  team comprising of Kaabong hospital management, the police and the district intelligence officials stormed his premises.

"We swung into action following a tip by a resident who saw Obwor sneaking boxes of hospital drugs into his house, and was overheard planning to travel out of town the next day," ASP Jacob Kule, Kaabong District Police Commander said.

After arrest, the Police recovered 18 boxes of government-labelled antimalarial drug, lumartem among other drugs

The suspect, we are told, committed the theft while area leaders were busy celebrating the NRM Liberation Day and the hospital board was participating in an exchange learning programme. 

"We believe the practice has been going on for sometime now. Obwor will be charged, and detained to act as a deterrent to other medics who might want to sell government drugs.", the Kaabong District Police Commander, ASP Jacob Kule confirmed.

Stolen drugs from the region often end up in private clinics, pharmacies or drug shops that are unlicensed. 

In September 2021, the National Drugs Authority (NDA) launched an operation impounding an estimated 163 million shillings of drugs from 349 unlicensed outlets across Karamoja, Lango and Acholi Sub Regions.