Three members of the staff at Upper East Regional Hospital have been remanded by a Circuit Court in Bolgatanga for their involvement in the theft of 34 boxes of assorted government drugs from the hospital.

Investigative journalist Edward Adeti played a crucial role in exposing the theft and subsequent arrests.

The suspects include Raymond Asoke, a hospital driver, Fasilat Raheem, the hospital's drug storekeeper, and Bridget Noeyelle, an assistant dispensary officer at the hospital's pharmacy.

They are facing charges of stealing, abetment of stealing, and conspiracy.

The suspects pleaded not guilty during their arraignment on August 5, 2023. Their legal representatives applied for bail, but the police prosecution team opposed the application.

The police argued that the suspects had refused to reveal the buyers of the stolen government drugs, necessitating further investigation.

Considering the police's arguments, the court, presided over by His Honour Sumaila Amadu, remanded the suspects into police custody for a two-week period. The case was adjourned to August 22, 2023.

Investigative journalist Edward Adeti initiated the investigation in 2022 following public complaints about drug shortages at the regional hospital.

His investigation revealed that stolen drugs were being hidden in a building in Bolgatanga before being transported to the Northern Region for resale.

In a specific incident, Raymond Asoke was caught attempting to move the stolen drugs from the hiding location, leading to the arrests.

The building where the drugs were stored belongs to Bridget Noeyelle, who is the wife of an administrator at a Ghana Health Service (GHS) regional health directorate.

The stolen drugs, supplied to the regional hospital by the Ministry of Health (MoH), were clearly marked as not for sale.

They were produced in 2023 and have an expiration date in 2025. The theft of these drugs has raised concerns about drug shortages and potential impacts on patient care in the region.