Maravi

Mazabuka health board suspends 3 over pilfered ARVs

Mazabuka health board suspends 3 over pilfered ARVs
By Henry Chibulu in Mazabuka
Fri 30 Dec. 2011, 13:35 CAT

THE Mazabuka Health Management board has suspended two pharmacy technologists and a classified daily employee at the district hospital over the theft of 200 bottles of Anti-Retroviral Drugs (ARVs).

The drugs were allegedly sold to some Zimbabwean nationals last week. Some Zimbabwean nationals living positively are reportedly buying ARVs in Zambia from some state-run health institutions.

District Pharmacist Alfred Sichali said the suspension was meant to facilitate investigations.

Sichali said a forensic audit revealed rife theft of ARVs at the health institution.

He said some members of staff had been stealing ARVs, particularly ALLUVIR, a drug which was being sold at between K450,000 and K550,000 per bottle.

He said the district health management team surrendered the suspects to Mazabuka police in order to teach other pharmacists a lesson that stealing drugs meant to prolong people's lives was wrong.

Sichali also revealed that police had on many occasions caught one of the suspects with ARVs but that no arrest was made.

Police have opened a docket against the three suspects who have been operating from Mazabuka district hospital and Kaonga clinic.

Police sources said the three were interviewed and statements recorded from them.

Mazabuka district HIV/AIDs taskforce chairperson Bernard Uteka urged the police to arrest the culprits.

Uteka, who condemned the theft as devilish, urged the Ministry of Health to put in place watertight measures to stop pilfering of ARVs in the district.

Labels: ARVs, MAZABUKA DISTRICT

posted by MrK @ 5:28 PM