Kumi: Officials from the National Drug Authority in conjunction with Police in Kumi Municipality have arrested one suspect in connection with the illegal possession and sale of government drugs.
The operatives also impounded government drugs from Simz Pharmacy Ltd in Kumi.
Speaking to the press on Friday morning, Mr. Pade Musa the NDA Regional Manager Teso said that the five day’s operation from Monday 27th November 2023 to Friday 1ST December 2023 was aimed at combing the districts of Kumi, Serere, Soroti District and Soroti City, to ensure that there is safety of drugs and lives as mandated to the Authority.
In Kumi Municipality, Simz pharmacy Ltd operating along Edeu Road, Angopet Cell was netted in possession of 408 doses of antimalarial drugs particularly Atefan belonging to the government.
By press time, the proprietor of the Pharmacy Mr. Simon Peter Otimong ceased to give a comment to the media, however the police arrested him on counts of selling government drugs which contravened Section 14 of the National Drug Policy and Authority Act cap 6.
Mr. Eyura Martine the Assistant District Health Officer for Soroti City, also the head of the enforcement in the operation believes that the drugs could have been stolen from the lower health facilities that have been consecutively been broken into by unknown thieves suspected to be dealing with some of the drug shop operators in the region.
“We have registered consecutive theft of drugs and testing kits in our lower facilities by unidentified thieves and we also beleive that the same thieves transact with these drug shop owners. Last week, Opuyo Health Centre III was broken into by thieves who took a lot of medical items,” he said.
Adding, “Earlier this year, Princese Diana Health Centre IV was also broken into by unknown thieves who took off with the hospital’s equipment.”
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