Police has arrested a medical officer attached to Mbale Regional Referral Hospital on allegations of stealing Oxygen gas cylinders of the same Hospital.
The referral hospital, is the treatment centre for all Covid-19 patients in Teso Sub-region, and has over the last two weeks reported a surge in cases, especially those in critical condition.
Dr Michael Mwanga, the hospital director, told Daily Monitor on Monday that the surge in Covid-19 cases has led to an acute shortage of oxygen, which is needed for management of patients under intensive care treatment.
Police CID PRO, Charles Twiine revealed that some oxygen cylinders have been recovered from his private clinic Life General Clinic and Laboratory in Nkoma ward, Industrial City Division upon search. One staff at the clinic was also arrested.
With the current wave of COVID-19 variants especially in Kampala, Wakiso, Mbarara, Gulu among other major cities and towns across the country, oxygen has become the main treatment tool for those in ICUs. About 20 patients have succumbed to Covid-19 over the past one month due to shortage of oxygen.