Warrant of arrest for senior nurse

Auxilia Katongomara Court Reporter
A WARRANT of arrest has been issued against United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) Sister-in-Charge Patricia Malemane Dube who is facing charges of selling expired drugs.
Bulawayo magistrate Tawanda Muchemwa issued a warrant of arrest against Dube after she failed to turn up for trial. Dube, 51, is facing two counts of unauthorised sale of drugs as well as selling expired drugs. She pleaded not guilty when she initially appeared in court.

Prosecuting, Busani Nkomo told the court that on March 3 this year, Dube was at her workplace at UBH when a patient identified as Lovemore Tsingano was prescribed to buy Amphotericin B drug.

“Tsingano’s wife, Singatsho Sikhundla, approached Dube who was in charge of the ward who then told her that she could supply her with the drug for $20 per 50g per vial,” said Nkomo.

Nkomo told the court that Singatsho then paid Dube $40 for the medicine.
“The matter was reported to the hospital’s public relations officer Nobuhle Thaba leading to the recovery of the drugs from Singatsho and the two $20 notes that Singatsho paid Dube,” said Nkomo.

The drugs that Dube allegedly sold expired in January this year and she is as a result facing another charge of selling expired drugs.
Last month, expired drugs worth millions of dollars were discovered at Ingutsheni Central Hospital, Mpilo Central Hospital and UBH.

At UBH, the storeroom in which expired drugs were stored had been cleared up and the drugs burnt amid allegations that the institution attempted to conceal evidence ahead of the visit by the Parliamentary portfolio committee on health.