By Juma Magino
BUSIA
Busia District Health Officer (DHO), Mr. Panyako Wabwire and three other district local government health department staff have been arrested for leaving government drugs to be drenched by a heavy rain downpour on 2nd November, 2023.
The four were arrested on Thursday, 2nd November, 2023 on orders of the Busia Resident District Commissioner, Mr. Michael Kibwika together with other security committee members.
Those arrested and spent the night behind bars are the District Health Officer Mr. Panyako and the medical store keeper identified as Tezira Ngobi.
The unfortunate incident has also got the State Minister for Foreign Affairs In charge Regional Cooperation who also doubles as the Member of Parliament Samia-Bugwe North constituency, Hon. John Mulimba, condemning National Medical Stores-NMS Staff and the Busia district local government health department for negligence.
This follows a video clip making rounds on social media showing a consignment of boxes containing drugs abandoned in heavy downpour outside the offices of the district headquarters. The video has caused uproar among residents and local leaders who have tasked the Busia district health officer Mr. Panyako Wabwire to explain why the government drugs were left outside during a heavy downpour that lasted close to 2 hours.
While inspecting the damaged boxes yesterday, 3/11/2023 at the district headquarters, Minister Mulimba expressed his worry saying that these drugs look like they were all spoiled and not recommended for human consumption. He added that the level of negligence among civil servants undermines their efforts of lobbying for service delivery in the district from the central government.
He has tasked both NMS Staff and the district officials to compile a report about the incident and asked the police to thoroughly carry out investigations.
However,Β NMS Regional Manager In charge of Eastern Uganda Apollo Munanura, while commenting about the incident said that there should be no panic among the general public because the drugs were not spoiled despite being left out in a heavy downpour. He says the drugs were tightly sealed in plastic tins that are waterproof.
RDC Busia, Michael Kibwika told reporters that after receiving information about the incident, he immediately called security personnel to rush to the district headquarters and rescue the boxes from the rain; however, it was too late and many of the boxes were already damaged. He has confirmed the arrest of the DHO and other staff.
On his part,Β StevenΒ Mugeni Wasike the districtΒ LCV chairperson also regrets the manner in which the drugs were left outside in the heavy downpour. He has urged that all those responsible for this regrettable negligence be charged in courts of law.
