ABSENTEEISM AND THEFT OF GOVERNMENT DRUGS INCREASE ON RISE IN ARUA REGIONAL REFERRAL HOSPITAL; STATE MINISTER ORDERS CRACKDOWN ON PHARMACIES
The state minister for heath and general duties Hon Anifa Kawooya Bangirana (with hands up) talking to the hospital leaders and some city officials. Photo//Erema
By Erema George
Arua City
The state minister for heath and general duties Hon Anifa Kawooya Bangirana has ordered a crackdown on pharmacies operation within Arua city and the surrounding area following concerns of absenteeism at Arua Regional Referral following by the hospital staff and the lack of medicine in the facility limiting access to adequate service delivery.
Her directive aims at ensuring the hospital staff are dedicated to serving the larger population and limiting the growing loss of government medicine in the regional referral hospital leading to lack of essential medical services.
While addressing the staff of the hospital earlier on Thursday morning (15TH OCTOBER, 2026), the minister issued the order to close pharmacies belong to any staff of the hospital and those operating without licenses;
“Every pharmacy around that has no current license from NDA must close today. You close them.” the minister stated.
The staff of Arua Regional Referral Hospital attending to the state minister of health (general duties) at the Hospital. Photo//Erema
She also warned the staff from working in two or more facilities noting that this compromises the quality of services delivered at the referral hospital charging the Arua city leadership to effect the orders;
“Anybody who is working in any extra facility; if you are a pharmacist and you are working in a pharmacy, if you are a medical doctor and you are working in any other clinic; private or whatever, today you are going away.” She ordered.
“Madam RCC, you have ears on ground, the DPC is where? CAO you have heard, you have heard, you have heard. Can we part ways today? That is a directive from the president and government, you go. You can’t serve in your clinic and government clinic or facility.” she noted.
Betty Otekat Akello, the resident city commissioner of Arua who cautioned the public to report cases of extortion, any other related concerns said they are ready and committed to get on ground for the ministers directive.
“That one we are going to take it up together with police and other security agencies and National Drug Authority to ensure that at least the pharmacies that are being run must not be owned by the hospital staff and then also anybody who has got information of extortion should inform us so that we can come in, don’t just wait. As long as it is governments drugs and we find you in possession of those drugs we shall definitely arrest you.” Akello assured
This order was part of the directives given by the minister to ensure order and restore organized working environment as a way of reforming the working conditions at the hospital seeking to promote service delivery the right way to benefit the patients seeking them.
Some of her restrictions included immediate dismissal of Absentees, restriction on leave days to a maximum of 7 days per staff at a time until all the 30 leave days are exhausted while maintaining other staff on duty with a proper handover record.
The minister cautioned the leaders to reorganize the hospital noting that she found too many people sited doing nothing as a result of disorganized systems warning to return next month.
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