MPs decry expired drugs in hospitals

Public Accounts committee has observed that expired drugs had been used by Gulu hospital to treat patients.

The committee chaired by Terego county member of parliament Kassiano Wadri Ezat while meeting officials from Gulu hospital led by the hospital director Dr.Nathan Onyaki noted that Gulu hospital drugs got expired in the financial year 2009/10 due to lack of storage facility.

MPs on the committee who include Kassiano Wadri, Alice Alaso and Eddie Kwizera said that a number of patients could have died in Gulu hospital because they were treated using expired drugs since the hospital had no proper drug storage rooms.

MPs discovered that drugs worth 6.2 million shillings got expired due to poor storage before the expiry market date.

MPs also said that the number of patients increased in Gulu sub region because the drugs were not effective to deal with diseases.

Gulu (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Director Gulu hospital Dr. Nathan onyaki admitted that drugs expired and there is a possibility that some expired drugs used to treat patients then since the hospital had no good storage rooms for the drug.

He said that the expired drugs were collected by the National medical stores and replaced by a new stock.

He however told mps that the hospital has put in place good storage rooms and facilities and drugs no longer expire.