Steven Kayondo, the officer in charge of Wakyato Health Center III in Nakaseke and his assistant laboratory attendant Samuel Ssemyalo are in trouble over accusations of stealing government drugs. The duo was picked up this morning by the state house medicine and health services monitoring unit led by Diana Atwine.
Trouble for the duo started this morning when Atwine and her team stormed the health center but found there no drugs. They sought an explanation from both officials in vain forcing them to mount a search in the house of Ssemyalo where they found government drugs and other properties. The recovered drugs included Coartem, Lumartem, Misoprostol, ampicilin worth unspecified million of shillings which is used in treatment of malaria and other diseases.
Other items included bed yet the ward at the health center was only left with two beds. The duo was grilled to explain under what circumstances they were keeping government drugs and properties in a private facility instead of the health center in vain. As a result Dr. Atwine ordered for the immediate arrest of both Kayondo and Ssemyalo.
Edward Kyaligonza, Nakaseke District Police Commander says that both officials are detained at Wakyato police post but will be transferred to Kiwoko police station. He says that that duo will be charged with theft of government drugs, mismanagement of government properties and abuse of office amongst other charges. Robert Lutaaya, a resident of Wakyato says that they have been complaining to Nakaseke district health bosses over the drug shortage and mismanagement of health center properties but nothing was done.
He wants the state house drugs and health services unit to investigate the district health department for corruption. The Medicines and Health Service Delivery Monitoring Unit (MHSDMU) of State House was established in September 2009 by President Yoweri Museveni to unearth the rot in Uganda’s health care system which had lead to poor service delivery and increased cases of drug theft by the officials.
