Editor
A 19-year-old woman named Shirat Namatongo was apprehended by security personnel at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital on charges of impersonating a medical professional. Acting in collaboration with law enforcement officers at Mbarara Central Police Station, hospital security caught Namatongo in the act as she tried to dress as a pediatric surgical ward health worker in a staff changing area.
Halson Kagure, the hospital’s Public Relations Officer, disclosed that the suspect had been deceiving patients and extorting money, thus tarnishing the institution’s reputation. During questioning, Namatongo admitted to working with others and confessed that her primary occupation was as a fruit vendor in town.
The hospital administration stressed the importance of contacting them directly if approached by anyone claiming to be a medical professional and soliciting payment for services, aiming to prevent similar incidents in the future.
