One child died and 22 others have been affected after health workers in Butebo Disrict allegedly administered an epilepsy drug instead of a deworming medicine during a community health exercise. 
The incident occurred during a routine deworming exercise conducted by health workers attached to Kabwangasi Health Centre III, where carbamazepine, a medicine used to control epileptic seizures, was reportedly confused with mebendazole, which treats intestinal worm infections.

According to Butebo District Health Officer Dr Oonyu Lawrence, 23 children were affected by the medication error. Sixteen were referred to Mbale Regional Referral Hospital for further treatment, while seven were taken to lower-level health facilities and have since been discharged.
At Mbale Regional Referral Hospital, the affected children are receiving medical attention, with parents and caregivers anxiously following their recovery.

Dr. Julian Abeso, head of the hospital’s pediatric department, said carbamazepine is an anticonvulsant whose administration to the children had caused drowsiness.
She said the hospital was closely monitoring the affected children as they received treatment.

Dr Oonyu attributed the error to a mix-up during the preparation and packing of medicines for the outreach, when carbamazepine was reportedly mistaken for mebendazole at the medical store.  Although the children admitted to Mbale are reportedly showing signs of recovery, the incident has already claimed the life of one child, leaving the family devastated.

The incident has also disrupted operations at Kabwangasi Health Centre III, which was reportedly locked after health workers fled following threats from angry residents who accused them of putting children's lives at risk.
Butebo Resident District Commissioner John Bosco Mubito said the security situation deteriorated after some residents threatened to attack the facility, raising concerns about the safety of health workers and the continued provision of healthcare services.

The medication error has triggered calls for accountability, with district leaders demanding investigations into how the wrong medicine was issued and administered to the children.  Butebo District Chairperson Samuel Keddi described the incident as a serious failure and called for those responsible to be held accountable.  The tragedy has also drawn attention to wider challenges facing healthcare delivery in the district, particularly staffing shortages and the capacity of health facilities to provide safe services.

District leaders say the health department is operating with less than 30 per cent of its required workforce, a shortfall they warn could undermine service delivery and patient safety.  District Speaker Sylus Okedi and Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Emmanuel Awio have also raised concerns about staffing gaps and the deployment of inadequately qualified personnel in some health facilities. As investigations continue, attention is turning to the systems governing the procurement, storage, preparation and distribution of medicines, as well as the supervision of health workers conducting community health programmes. For the affected families, the immediate concern is the recovery of their children. However, the incident has raised serious questions about how a public health exercise intended to protect children from disease could instead expose them to potentially life-threatening harm.