Police arrest man suspected of killing three people with medication

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Police arrest man suspected of killing three people with medication

6:35 CAT | 04 May 2017

Sapo (File photo)

A man has been detained by police in central Mozambique on suspicion of killing three people by administering over-the-counter medications. Among the victims is the mother of the detainee.

The 37-year-old man, who worked at the Mossurize District Health, Women and Social Action Service in Manica, was taking medications from the local hospital’s public pharmacy and administering them to patients in his home, without regard for medical standards, Manica Police Command spokeswoman Elsidia Philippe said.

The suspect took advantage of his “training as a paramedic, and with the drugs he got at the hospital he ended up treating people privately,” she said. His family reported him after he allegedly killed his mother with an overdose.

“The mother was ill, and he had been administering over-the-counter medication to her. He killed her with an overdose over the weekend, which means he will have to respond in criminal proceedings for qualified homicide,” Filipe said.

Investigating the death, police found evidence of homicide by overdose of two neighbours in April, following the administration of drugs by the suspect.

Thousands of residents in Manica buy medicines in informal markets, feeding a business usually provided by young people who also offer clinical care without any medical qualification. The informal market is fuelled by medicines diverted from public institutions, often involving health professionals and pharmacies.

The Manica Police is running a campaign to discourage the purchase of medication on the streets and ban the operation of clandestine clinics.

Last week, an operation detained a doctor and two nurses, all unqualified, who had been operating an illegal home-based clinic in the Monda-Sawmill area of Gondola for 12 years. Agents removed large quantities of medication with expiry dates as far back as 2015.

Source: Lusa