Two children have died and 16 others have been admitted to Mbale Regional Referral Hospital in critical condition after they were allegedly given epilepsy medication instead of deworming tablets during a health outreach exercise in Butebo District.

The children reportedly received Carbamazepine, an anti-epileptic drug, instead of Mebendazole, which is used to treat intestinal worm infections.

The medication was allegedly administered by nurses from Kabwangasi Health Centre III who were conducting an immunisation outreach exercise in the district.

Dr Julian Abeso, the head of the paediatric department at Mbale Regional Referral Hospital, confirmed the admission of 17 children following the incident.

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Two of the children have since died, while 16 others remain hospitalised in critical condition, according to the information provided.

The circumstances under which the wrong medication was administered, including how the drugs were mixed up, remain unclear.

The incident is likely to raise questions about drug handling, verification procedures and patient safety during community health outreaches.

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