Health worker, arrested suspended for drug theft
Mzimba District Health Advisory Committee (HAC) on Tuesday arrested a medical assistant at Khosolo Health Centre, Douglas Matemba, for allegedly selling assorted medical drugs to a businessperson.
Meanwhile, M’mbelwa District Council has suspended Matemba until he is cleared by the courts.
In an interview yesterday, Khosolo HAC member Hendrix Nkhoma said Matemba was allegedly selling the drugs to businessperson Foster Khazani Mwale.
He said while HAC members were waiting to have a meeting with chiefs at the facility on Tuesday morning, they saw Mwale leaving the hospital with a handbag, which prompted the members to conduct a search.
“After searching in the handbag, we discovered that there were malaria drugs, Bactrim and Flagyl. We asked him where he got the drugs and he said that he bought them from Matemba,” he said.
Mzimba South District Health Office spokesperson Ellings Nyirenda confirmed the development, saying Matemba has since been suspended.
“We are aware of the matter and it is now in the hands of the police. Meanwhile, the medical assistant has been suspended by the M’mbelwa District Council until the matter comes to its conclusion,” he said.
Last year, a Global Fund report found that there are lower conviction rates for public servants charged with stealing drugs from public hospitals than those charged with selling them at private outlets.
