CURB THEFT OF DRUGS
The theft of drugs meant for distribution to public health facilities by the Medical Stores Department (MSD) is cause for grave concern.It is thus not surprising that the department has been pleading for public assistance to curb this particularly obnoxious form of pilfering of public property.
Most of the stolen drugs end up in private pharmacies, where they are sold at a tidy profit for the crooks, and at the expense of millions of people, particularly in the rural areas.Drugs distributed by the MSD are heavily subsidised to make them affordable to the poor. Their availability is a matter of life and death to those who cannot afford drugs sold at pharmacies and other private outlets.
This is why we reiterate the MSD’s appeal for public support to ensure that all drugs distributed by the department reach the targeted end-users.The drugs are stolen through an elaborate network. The possibility of some crooked MSD staff being involved in the racket cannot be ruled out.While it is very much in order for the MSD to seek the public’s cooperation to nail the culprits, we feel it is time the department embarked on a thorough campaign to rid itself of undesirable elements.
Most of the stolen drugs end up in private pharmacies, where they are sold at a tidy profit for the crooks, and at the expense of millions of people, particularly in the rural areas.Drugs distributed by the MSD are heavily subsidised to make them affordable to the poor. Their availability is a matter of life and death to those who cannot afford drugs sold at pharmacies and other private outlets.
This is why we reiterate the MSD’s appeal for public support to ensure that all drugs distributed by the department reach the targeted end-users.The drugs are stolen through an elaborate network. The possibility of some crooked MSD staff being involved in the racket cannot be ruled out.While it is very much in order for the MSD to seek the public’s cooperation to nail the culprits, we feel it is time the department embarked on a thorough campaign to rid itself of undesirable elements.
POLICE FORCE IS NOT BEYOND REDEMPTION
The Police Force has once again featured negatively in the latest research findings of a human rights monitoring non-governmental organisation. The Legal and Human Rights Centre (LHRC) 2010 Report names the force as the most corrupt institution in the country, and a major violator of human rights.
It was the case also in previous LHRC reports, and it shows that a lot still needs to be done to reform this important state agency. It will be recalled that in 2009, Inspector General of Police Saidi Mwema launched a much-publicised drive to clean up the force. However, we are not sure if this has led to any tangible achievements so far.
That the force is rotten to the core insofar as corruption is concerned is a well-known fact. Traffic police officers openly take bribes from motorists, as if it is their birthright. Corrupt officers have also turned police stations into cash cows, and it is not unusual for suspects to be set free after tidy sums of money change hands.
It is now virtually impossible for ordinary people to get assistance at police stations without giving some sort of “incentive” to the officers. Senior officers sitting in their plush offices at Police Headquarters in Dar es Salaam are no doubt aware that police stations have become no-go zones for people in need of assistance, but who have no money. But what are the big guns in the force doing about this?
The force also stands accused as a major human rights abuser. Examples of this abound, the most recent being the shooting dead by police of five people at the North Mara gold mine in Tarime District. As if that was not enough, the way police handled the aftermath of the killings has done nothing to endear them to the public, particularly the bereaved families.
Early this year, police violently broke up an opposition demonstration in Arusha, killing four people in the process. Is it any wonder then that the force is a permanent fixture in these damning reports?
It was the case also in previous LHRC reports, and it shows that a lot still needs to be done to reform this important state agency. It will be recalled that in 2009, Inspector General of Police Saidi Mwema launched a much-publicised drive to clean up the force. However, we are not sure if this has led to any tangible achievements so far.
That the force is rotten to the core insofar as corruption is concerned is a well-known fact. Traffic police officers openly take bribes from motorists, as if it is their birthright. Corrupt officers have also turned police stations into cash cows, and it is not unusual for suspects to be set free after tidy sums of money change hands.
It is now virtually impossible for ordinary people to get assistance at police stations without giving some sort of “incentive” to the officers. Senior officers sitting in their plush offices at Police Headquarters in Dar es Salaam are no doubt aware that police stations have become no-go zones for people in need of assistance, but who have no money. But what are the big guns in the force doing about this?
The force also stands accused as a major human rights abuser. Examples of this abound, the most recent being the shooting dead by police of five people at the North Mara gold mine in Tarime District. As if that was not enough, the way police handled the aftermath of the killings has done nothing to endear them to the public, particularly the bereaved families.
Early this year, police violently broke up an opposition demonstration in Arusha, killing four people in the process. Is it any wonder then that the force is a permanent fixture in these damning reports?
0 comments:
Post a Comment