Dedza, 6 March: Police in Dedza are keeping in custody a patient attendant working for Dedza District Hospital after the hospital’s guards caught him at the gate attempting to sneak out with a sack containing 21 bottles of antibiotics called erythromycin.

Publicist for Dedza police confirmed the development, saying the hospital worker, Nelson Chisale, 51, from Kafotokoza village, T/A Kachere in the district was arrested on Monday with the drugs valued at K44 000.

Kabango said guards manning the hospital’s gate saw Chisale entering the hospital premises with an empty sack but got suspicious when they noticed that the sack was stuffed when he was returning to get out.

“They searched him and found that the sack contained 21 bottles of erythromycin containing 100 tablets each which he said he had collected for his sick child,” he said.

Kabango said Chisale bolted into a maize field with the bag when one of the guards went to report the matter to the hospital administrator.

“The matter was reported to police the same day and we went to his house to search but we did not find any drugs. However, we found them in the maize field he had disappeared into”, he said.

Kabango said the suspect will appear in court soon to answer a charge of being found in possession of medical drugs without license contrary to section 35(1) as read with section 65 of Pharmacy Medicines and Poisons Act which attracts a maximum prison sentence of three years or a fine.