A two months joint operation by Ministry of health, National Drug Authority (NDA), Uganda Police Force, and Health Monitoring Unit (HMU) has led to impounding of 981 boxes of assorted medical items valued at Shs 490, 500, 000 UGX of which 165 boxes had medicines intended for public health facilities.
Minister of health Jane Ruth Aceng told a press conference in Kampala this morning that the ministry is on the road to curb and clear the country of illegal drug dealers, on substandard drugs, counterfeit medicines and drugs embossed: “Government of Uganda, Not for Sale.
The ministry’s key objectives were to; intercept dealers in medicines intended for public health facilities with intentions to sell them to the private sector or export them to other countries, save tax payers money by stopping medicines pilferage from public health facilities, clamp down on a racket involved in deliberate alteration/re-labeling of expired medicine and prevent its use by the population and to crack down on dealers in substandard, and counterfeit medicines.
According to the minister, the teams conducted operations in five major shift markets in the four districts of Bukedea, Soroti, Bulambuli, and Serere and impounded 31 boxes of medicine while apprehending 19 suspects. The teams also conducted inspections of 17major drug shops in Manafwa, Serere, Budaka, Ngora, Mbale, Kaberamaido, and Soroti to weed out illegal operators. 12 drug shops were closed, 12 boxes of medicines impounded, and 10 suspects apprehended and handed over to police.
In Kampala, 3 trailers with 716 boxes of assorted medicines suspected to be unauthorized medicines or medicines labelled Government of Uganda, “Not for sale” intended to be exported to other neighboring countries were intercepted.
A racket of dealers were also arrested on E-Tower along Kampala Road involved in deliberate alteration/re-labeling of batch numbers, expiry dates and manufacturing dates. We impounded 26 boxes of assorted medicine, a box of assorted documents and 2 boxes of equipment. 71 drug shops were closed, and 90 boxes of medicines impounded 106 boxes of assorted medicines were impounded from 5 homes. The impounded medicines had 91 boxes of medicines labelled “Government of Uganda. These had doses for 7,017 patients.
Those arrested are George Makubuya in Rubaga being held at Old Kampala Police Station, Frank Namanya and OnesmusNimuhwezi being held at Nansana Police Station, Deo Mburakeye of Salama being held at Katwe Police Station, Nalongo Deborah Nalule and Joseph Babihize of Kyanja held at Kira road Police Station.