…Says Hospital Destroyed Over N200m Expired Drugs, Consumables

The Chief Medical Director (CMD), Benue State University Teaching Hospital (BSUTH), Stephen Hwande has said the hospital has destroyed drugs and other consumables worth over N200 million, contrary to claims that expired drugs that were destroyed were worth only N100 million.

The CMD also noted that over 100 corpses have been abandoned at the mortuary of the BSUTH, some of them for over three years.

He explained that the management of the hospital has already written to the Commissioner of Police (Compol), Bartholomew Onyeka and informed him of the development, seeking the Compol’s consent to dispose of the corpse.

However, SATURDAY INDEPENDENT gathered that most of the corpses that were abandoned were those that were either brought to the hospital by the police or soldiers, from accidents and herdsmen attacks and have remained unclaimed since then.

Hwande noted that, “I discovered over 100 unclaimed corpses in the morgue. For the corpses, we have written to the commissioner of Police to give us the right to dispose them.”

Giving a description of the quantity of drugs that were set on fire at the facility, while speaking with newsmen, shortly after disposing of the drugs, the CMD explained that the drugs can be used to set up the largest pharmacy in the state.

According to him, “What is happening here today is the destruction of expired drugs by the hospital. I came in here two weeks ago with a mandate by Governor Hyacinth Alia to revamp and restore the dignity and confidence of this place. On assumption, I went round the stores and I discovered drugs worth over N200 million and consumables in the stores.

“What is surprising about this is that, these are drugs acquired by the hospital to be used by the hospital for the patients. So why did they abandon the drugs to the point of expiration, one want can say?

“When you get drugs with short dates, you can convey some of these drugs to other hospitals. For instance, we have IDPs camps, you can give them to hospitals and you can even do medical outreach with the drugs before they expire. There is no reason why you should have drugs worth this amount of money expiring in this hospital when the whole state is in need of drugs.

“To keep our records straight, because sometimes people may even go to the store and still use them so we decide to destroy the drugs.

“What is surprising is that you have drugs in millions and you privatise and leave the drugs. The areas that have been privatised like Radiology, I have written off. We are holding a meeting after here with pharmaceutical companies that will come and supply quality drugs for the hospital so that at the end we will put to end some of the unwholesome practices affecting the hospital.”

Among the drugs that were set ablaze, he observed were “Every kind of drugs antibiotics, anti-hypertensive, anti-malaria, including consumables like iodine, bandages, urine bags, everything.

“This can form a big pharmacy. With this worth of drugs, you can form the biggest pharmacy in Makurdi. Some of the drugs were procured by the hospital, some by contracts.”

(Saturday Independent)

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