Most African countries are struggling to get COVID-19 jabs amid global supply constraints
KAMPALA, Aug 7 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Five Ugandans people were arraigned before the Nakawa Chief Magistrate’s Court and charged in connection with injecting more than 800 people with water instead of COVID-19 vaccines.
The group, including Francis Baguma, a 25-year-old student of Makerere University, who was allegedly masquerading as a medical doctor, denied the charges.
The group was charged with offences of a negligent act likely to spread infection, conspiracy to defraud and unlawful possession of government property.
They were denied bail and remanded to prison with the exception of Gloria Katushabe, an enrolled midwife, on the basis of being pregnant.
Under the charge of negligent act, prosecution alleges that the group and others still at large in June in Kawempe Division, Kampala District, unlawfully or negligently administered fake Covid-19 vaccines to employees of several factories, organisations and corporate entities. The organisations include Harris International, KCL Ltd Kitintale, United Bank of Africa, Diamond Trust Bank and MAKSS Packaging.
The 800 workers at these private companies received fake jabs and their companies paid for the vaccinations
This, the prosecution claimed, was done by the accused persons, knowing that their acts were likely to spread infection of any disease dangerous to human life.
Under the offence of conspiracy to defraud, the group are alleged to have fraudulently obtained more than Shs8m from Harris International Ltd in exchange of supplying fake Covid-19 vaccines, well knowing that the jabs are free.
Under the last offence of unlawful possession of government property, it is alleged that the group at Harris International factory, without lawful excuse or permission, had in their possession 694 pieces of auto disable syringes, which is the property of the government.
The group was arrested by the State House Health Monitoring Unit last month.
Upon clinical testing of the seized vaccines at the Government Analytical Laboratory, it was discovered that they were mainly composed of water more than any other chemicals.
Dr Warren Naamara, the director of the State House Health Monitoring Unit, at a news conference last month, said the recipients that received the fake jabs shouldn’t worry and that their life was not in danger.
The Health Ministry said there are 90,656 confirmed cases of the virus with 2,392 deaths in Uganda. The number of people vaccinated is just 1,427,897 out of a population of 44 million. — NNN-AGENCIES