The Police in Terego district are investigating the alleged abuse of office by district health officer Dr Amandu Simon Ongua and his junior.
Ongua was allegedly summoned together with Philliam Osole, the former in charge of Obofia Health Center II to make statements at Omugo Central Police Station on Friday. However, both were detained and released on Monday.
Police opened a file: CRB 005/01/09/2023 against the two employees although Terego Police commander Martin Karekyezi failed to provide details claiming that it is the role of the Police spokesperson.
However, Terego Deputy Resident District Commissioner (RDC) John Peter Onyango Emokol said the arrest of the duo was a directive from the district security committee.
Terego RDC Festus Ayikobu said they want the Police to investigate whether Ongua is part of a syndicate that attempted to steal 118 cartons of rapid diagnostic test (RDT) kits delivered for 29 health units by the National Medical Stores (NMS) last month.
They also want him to be probed over allegations of allowing Osole to go on leave last financial year without handing over the checkbook for the facility.
The accused could not defend themselves because they were still in detention at Omugo CPS when the meeting to release them took place at the district headquarters at Leju.
The RDC reportedly stood firm to prevent the return of the 118 cartons of RDT kits for 29 health units allegedly delivered erroneously because the man who drove the NMS vehicle failed to produce an introduction letter.
Ongua and an unidentified former NMS staff, who worked in the West Nile region currently deployed in Jinja, allegedly pleaded to the RDC to release the Malaria RDT kits to avoid blacklisting the district from receiving supplies.
The district officials became concerned and took action after the deputy executive director of NMS and health ministry permanent secretary Dr Diana Atwine ruled out the procedure involved in the return of the RDT kits.
“How did a bulky consignment of 230,100 RDT kits in the 118 cartons that do not belong to the Terego district be packed without discovery and delivered? Only one health centre was indicated on the delivery note to receive just one-and-a-half cartons, where are the kits for the rest of the 28 health units,” Ayikobua said.
Police were also directed to detain both suspects when Ongua allegedly breached the district security committee meeting recommendation to make an investigation of the absence of Obofia Health Centre II in charge a secret.
Obofia Health Centre II Health Unit Management chairperson Drapari Joakin confirmed that his support staff is struggling to perform their duties as the primary health care fund has been halted for four quarters and services in the unit are crippled.
The last allegation laid against the DHO is deploying someone not employed by the district to their only health centre IV at Omugo hence blocking service delivery for those duly deployed staff.
Source: New Vision