Three people were arrested in the Eastern Cape for selling stolen milk formula meant for malnourished children and children of HIV positive mothers, the provincial health department said.
"They confessed that they were being supplied by security guards and said that they have customers all over the Transkei," said health department spokesman Sizwe Kupelo.
The Democratic Nurses Association of South Africa has previously labelled the crime as "inhumane". The arrest took place in Mount Fletcher and involved four boxes containing a total of 96 tins of the formula Nan Pelargon.
Kupelo implored people not to buy the formula clearly stamped "not for sale" because it is meant to be given without charge to malnourished children and to mothers who have the HIV and choose not to breastfeed.
The thefts cause shortages at the clinics to which the impoverished mothers have turned for help in keeping their babies nourished. An internal investigation into the possibility that a syndicate is behind the thefts is underway, amid wider concerns of reports that drugs are also going missing from health centres.
"We are going to be tough on corruption," said Kupelo urging people to phone their call centre on 08000-32364 or the police, if offered the stolen formula. "It is meant to be for free," said Kupelo.
In August seven people were arrested in connection with the theft of infant formula that cost the government R120 000 to buy. They included four health officials, two local businessmen and their alleged "supplier". About 500 boxes containing 12 000 units of 400g tins of the formula had been stolen in Libode, near Mthatha on July 26. For that month, 44 000 boxes of infant formula more than a million tins had been purchased for the province at a cost of R7,5 million.
Issued by: Department of Health, Eastern Cape Provincial Government
17 September 2009
Source: Department of Health, Eastern Cape Provincial Government (http://www.ecdoh.gov.za)
