BSUTH disposes of N200 million worth of expired drugs and medical supplies

The management of Benue State University Teaching Hospital, now under the leadership of Dr. Stephen Hwande, recently took the significant step of disposing of expired drugs and medical supplies valued at 200 million Naira. These pharmaceuticals were originally procured by the hospital but had been left unused, resulting in their deterioration.

Dr. Stephen Hwande, the Chief Medical Director of the teaching hospital, expressed his concern over this wastage of resources and the state of affairs he encountered upon assuming his role. He discovered over 100 unclaimed corpses in the hospital’s morgue and promptly initiated correspondence with the Commissioner of Police to determine the appropriate course of action regarding this matter.

Prior to Dr. Stephen Hwande’s appointment, the hospital had the practice of requesting patients to purchase essential drugs and medical supplies, such as paracetamol and hand gloves, as well as other medications and consumables.

Dr. Stephen Hwande addressed the situation, emphasizing the mismanagement and wastage of resources within the hospital. He stated, “The drugs and consumables were acquired by the hospital, but the same hospital abandoned them to expire in the store.” Furthermore, he highlighted the surprising fact that the hospital had opted to privatize its pharmaceutical department, even though it had accumulated a significant stock of unused pharmaceuticals.

Under his leadership, a proactive approach was taken to rectify this issue. He mentioned, “Today, we are destroying expired drugs and consumables that are worth over 200 million Naira.” Dr. Stephen Hwande made it clear that this was not a sustainable practice, and these valuable resources could be put to better use for the benefit of the community.

Upon his appointment as the Chief Medical Director, Dr. Stephen Hwande embarked on an extensive review of the hospital’s operations. He personally visited the hospital’s various storage areas to assess the extent of the issue. During this inspection, he uncovered expired drugs and consumables with a collective value of nearly 200 million Naira.

He further questioned the rationale behind acquiring these pharmaceuticals only to leave them unused and deteriorating. Dr. Stephen Hwande proposed alternative solutions to make better use of these resources. “You can distribute the drugs to the general hospitals or other hospitals in the state for usage,” he suggested. “You can also send them to the IDP camps or carry out community medical outreach.” His perspective emphasized the importance of avoiding the unnecessary expiration of valuable medical supplies.

It is noteworthy that Dr. Stephen Hwande’s appointment as the new Chief Medical Director of the hospital received approval from the State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, on October 17. His proactive approach and commitment to ensuring the responsible use of resources have already begun to bring positive changes to the Benue State University Teaching Hospital. Under his leadership, the hospital is expected to see improvements in the management of pharmaceuticals and a more efficient allocation of resources for the benefit of patients and the community.