Keeping watch: The vigilantes of Kisii fighting medicine theft
Kisii Governor Simba Arati (left) inspects drugs consignment destined for various sub-county hospitals at Kisii Teaching and Referral Hospital on December 19, 2022.
The viral video of a crowd “arresting” a medical officer who had allegedly attempted to sneak out of a hospital in Kisii with suspected stolen drugs has sent the health fraternity in the county in shock.
As the medical worker, clad in a white lab coat, tries to fight back, the youths menacingly challenge him to a duel. Apparently scared, he walks back to the hospital with the bag.
“You cannot leave with that bag, bwana … Take that bag back into the office … We want to see what you’re carrying,” shout a group of youths who had cornered the man.
“Why are you attempting to run away,” asks another youth as the medical worker is frog-marched to a yet unknown destination.
“We will beat you up,” threaten the youths who are escorting the man into the hospital pharmacy where they establish that he has an assortment of drugs meant for the poor local people.
After subduing the medical officer, the youths start questioning him as to why he was attempting to flee with the bag.
“We want to clean up this place. How can someone employed to ensure good stewardship of medicine meant for the public, turn out to be the one stealing from the poor?” the youths are heard wondering.
An assortment of medicine meant for patients is found inside the bag, which the medical officer was taking away from the hospital.
Medical supplies
“We are loyal members of the public as well as watchdogs of the Kisii County Government. We have full authority to apprehend anyone who steals from the public hospitals,” shout the sometimes-rough youths.
One of the boxes is marked “Arithrosafe-500”, while others contain a number of antibiotics.
The youths captured in the video said they were not lawless. They were responding to the governor’s call to be vigilant and protect their medical supplies.
“Our people have continued being charged for the medicine. Poor people get asked to pay before they are treated, yet some of the medical personnel are stealing the very medicine we are asked to pay for before receiving any treatment,” lamented the youths.
They refused to enter into any negotiations aimed at setting free the suspect. They swore to have the governor involved in addressing the matter.
The Nation has learned that the suspect was later handed over to police in Nyamache.
The widespread theft of medicine from public hospitals by some crooked medical officers in Kisii has forced the public to effect citizens’ arrest of suspected thieves.
The public has maintained increased surveillance around health facilities to ensure protection of medical supplies, which have for a long time been easy targets for corrupt medical workers.
In October last year, Governor Simba Arati directed that all public hospital drug stores should be digitised as a measure again meant for poor wananchi.
Steal drugs
But even with digitisation, medics are able to manoeuvre around the system and steal the drugs, while for a long time, patients have been suffering, owing to lack of drugs in public hospitals.
Mr Arati told medical staff at the Kisii Teaching and Referral Hospital that he had been forced to install digital systems in all public hospitals to monitor stealing of medicine by crooked public employees.
The governor issued a stern warning to any public official found stealing drugs that he will parade the culprits if found guilty by a court of law, and sack them.
The governor stated that Kisii County had suffered irreparable damage from crooks who had been given the trust of stewarding public resources, but who turned into hyenas and mauled everything they came across.
