The National Drug Authority (NDA) has uncovered a dangerous racket in Kampala, where expired HIV test kits and medications are being sold to unsuspecting customers.
The authority’s crackdown saw ten suspects arrested after a weekend raid on several pharmacies along Wilson Street.
According to Abiaz Rwamwiri, NDA’s Public Relations Officer, the operation exposed alarming illegal practices, including the sale of HIV test kits with altered expiry dates and anti-malarial drugs bearing the “Government of Uganda, not for sale” label.
“We found several boxes of HIV drugs and test kits whose expiry dates had been tampered with,” Rwamwiri revealed
The investigation comes just days after a similar operation in Eastern Uganda, where HIV drugs, anti-malarials, and test kits were discovered in open markets in Bukhaweka and Butilu in Namisindwa district, as well as Arapai in Soroti city.
The NDA has expressed deep concern that such actions will lead to incorrect test results, causing people to believe they are HIV-negative when they may actually be HIV-positive. The unlawful sale of these medical supplies jeopardizes lives and raises questions about the safety of medications in the country.
The NDA’s efforts didn’t stop with the arrests. Government drugs confiscated in these operations were donated to health facilities in six districts suffering from chronic stockouts of essential medications.
The donation was sanctioned by the Makindye Utilities Court and aimed to alleviate the shortage of anti-retroviral drugs in Luweero, Kayunga, Buikwe, Buvuma, Mukono, and Nakasongola.
The NDA has warned the public to be vigilant when purchasing medical supplies and urged them to only buy from licensed pharmacies to avoid falling victim to such scams.
