Africa-Press – Uganda. Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital administration has warned the public over the presence of agents of witch doctors and traditional healers at the health facility.
The warning follows Monday’s arrest of a middle-aged woman who was allegedly on a mission to sneak a patient from the hospital to a witchdoctor’s shrine in neighbouring Mitooma District.
On Tuesday, the hospital’s communication officer Halson Kagure told Monitor that the suspect had convinced the caretakers of a stroke patient that her sickness can only be treated by a witchdoctor.
“The suspect first established close ties with the mother of the patient and told her that the disease will not be managed by doctors at this hospital. She advised her to take the patient to a prominent witchdoctor in Mitooma District who she said was very sure will heal her daughter,” Kagure noted.
According to Kagure, luck ran out for the suspect when she demanded Shs3 million, and the caretakers started mobilizing for this money.
“She started bothering the caretakers that the more they delayed, the more the patient’s condition would worsen. This pressure made the relatives become suspicious and inquire about her details and her presence at the hospital. She lied that she had a patient at the Intensive Care Unit,” added Kagure.
Suspicion forced the relatives of the patient to inform the hospital security, leading to the arrest of the suspect now held at Mbarara Central police station.
The suspect has since admitted having been planted by a witchdoctor to sneak patients out to his shrine for a commission.
Further, Kagure told this publication that hospital investigations indicate that another group of traditional healers have agents at the facility, targeting accident victims.
“We have another challenge of traditional healers, especially traditional bone setters who have agents here. Two months ago, we arrested one of them. The unfortunate thing is that when these traditional bone setters fail to manage them, the patients come back when their situations have deteriorated,” Kagure observed.
The hospital deputy director Dr Francis Oriokot hailed the patient’s relatives for being vigilant before he appealed to the public to always seek services of medical staff and security in case of any challenges.
Authorities at Mbarara Hospital had by Tuesday evening intensified security at the health facility that receives over 500 clients every day.
FYI
In 2018, agents who included those from private health facilities had invaded Mbarara Hospital and would convince patients to seek treatment away from the government hospital.
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