A 19-year-old woman, Shirat Namatongo, was apprehended by police in Mbarara City for attempting to pass herself off as a medical doctor inside Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital.
She was caught red-handed while trying to dress as a pediatric surgical ward health worker in a staff changing area.
According to Halson Kagure, the hospital’s public relations officer, the suspect had been deceiving patients and extorting money, damaging the hospital’s reputation.
It was revealed that she had falsely obtained a clinical coat belonging to a Mbarara University medical student.
During interrogation, Namatongo confessed to illegally working alongside some staff members and admitted to being a fruit vendor in Mbarara town.
She now faces charges of impersonation. Police and the hospital urged the public to report any individuals demanding payment for hospital services under false pretenses.
The hospital administration stressed the importance of contacting them directly if approached by anyone claiming to be a medical professional and seeking payment for services to prevent similar incidents in the future.
The hospital has experienced previous cases of child theft, with women disguising as caretakers stealing babies, the latest incident occurring in September 2022.
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