KABALE, Uganda: A district in southwestern Uganda has rolled out tighter controls to prevent theft of public medicines, in a drive officials say could serve as a template for the rest of the country.
Major Godfrey Katamba, the Resident District Commissioner for Kabale, said the measures block opportunities for pilferage.
“We have a system in place where no single health worker can steal or divert drugs without being noticed. The person who dispenses the medicine is not the same as the custodian. There are checks and balances at every point of the chain,” he said.
Drug theft has been one of Uganda’s most persistent public health challenges, with surveys by the Health Monitoring Unit revealing that as many as one in five patients is forced to buy medicines that should have been free.
Katamba said branding government drugs has made it easier for citizens to identify them.
“This inscription has helped us deal with unscrupulous individuals who might be tempted to smuggle government drugs into private pharmacies. The public now knows what belongs to them and what doesn’t,” he said.
He said detailed registers, inspections, and security escorts are part of the enforcement.
“Each health facility has a dispensing section with a register where every drug issued to patients is recorded. We regularly visit these facilities and inspect the records to see if the usage patterns match the stock levels,” he noted.
“Whenever National Medical Stores (NMS) delivers drugs to our district, we attach GISOs to accompany them. These officers witness the handover and ensure that the drugs are received and stocked properly,” he said.
Katamba urged citizens to take part in the crackdown.
“This is not just about the RDC or the health workers. It’s about the people themselves taking responsibility. We want the community to join us in this fight against drug theft,” he said.
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