Gulu – Ms. Christine Ayoo Kidega, 40, a resident of Bowobo Aywaya village in For God parish was admitted to the private ward at Gulu Regional Referral Hospital on the evening of Tuesday May 22.
She was to get treatment for typhiod, ulcers and fever. On the ward, Chrispa Apiyo, an enrolled nurse, administered Dextrose (Glucose Intravenous Infusion BP 50g/L).
At about 8:30pm, Wilfred Odiya Baguma, a relative to the patient and Chairman Attiak Sub-county in Amuru district came to visit and found the drug being administered.
According to Odiya, he checked the drug and to his shock realized that it expired in November 2017. He then checked a second unused bottle and found the same expiry date. This then compelled him to call for Apiyo who was on duty to confirm.
“The nurse incharge said she was not aware that the drug had expired. This brought me to question her qualification as a nurse,” Odiya said.
“How can you administer a drug that expired six months ago on a patient?” Odiya wondered, adding: “They are complaining for remuneration and when it comes to rendering services they are very weak.”
Police was called in and Apiyo was asked to record a statement under instruction of Mr. Ronald Were, the OC CID of Gulu Central Police Station.
In her statement, Apiyo confessed that she thought the drug was not expired as it was given to her by the facility’s pharmacist only identified as Brenda.
Odiya, who retired from the medical profession before joining politics, urged politicians to closely monitor government health facilities.
Mr Jimmy Patrick Okema, the Aswa River Region police spokesperson confirmed the incident and said police has recorded statements from the nurse on duty, the patient, attendant and the pharmacist to help in the investigation.
He added that police at Gulu Central Police station have summoned the nurse on duty and in charge duty and a case has been opened under Case reference SD 70/22/05/2018.
