MP Wakida Urges Against Arresting Health Workers for Medicine Shortages

Kibuku Member of Parliament Patrick Godfrey Wakida has voiced strong opposition to the practice of arresting health workers who advise patients to buy medicines from private outlets. Wakida argued that these actions often stem from critical drug shortages within government health facilities, with some centers experiencing stock-outs for weeks.

While acknowledging the need for zero tolerance towards theft, Wakida differentiated between genuine theft and the necessity for clinicians to find alternative solutions for patients when essential medicines are unavailable. He stated that health workers should only face legal consequences if there is concrete evidence of them stealing drugs.

Wakida pointed to a significant funding gap, estimated at Shs150 billion, for essential medicines as a major contributing factor to the persistent shortages. He urged the government to address this financial shortfall and proposed increasing annual per capita spending on medicines to at least Shs10,000.

Furthermore, the MP advocated for the complete digitalization of the National Medical Stores’ tracking system, from warehouses to patient delivery. This, he believes, would enhance transparency and allow citizens to monitor medicine distribution and identify stock-outs more effectively. Wakida emphasized the need to distinguish between systemic failures, like inadequate funding and poor supply chain management, and individual misconduct.

He stressed that a multi-pronged approach is necessary, addressing insufficient financing, theft, and mismanagement of procured supplies simultaneously. Wakida concluded that focusing solely on arresting health workers is not a solution to the broader problem of medicine shortages in public health facilities and that accountability must also extend to the systems responsible for procurement, storage, and distribution.