Police hold two doctors over extortion

In Summary

Illegal. The doctors, on internship at Jinja hospital, are accused of demanding money from an expectant mother scheduled for a caesarean delivery.

Jinja. Police in Jinja are investigating two intern doctors at Jinja Regional Referral Hospital over alleged neglect and attempt to extort money from an expectant mother who had been due for a caesarean delivery at the facility.
Jinja District Police Commander Felix Mugizi told journalists last week that the student doctors allegedly demanded the money on December 22 when the woman was scheduled for the operation.

It is not clear how much the two had demanded, but the woman’s husband, Mr Swalik Mutumba, reported the matter to police, prompting the interns’ arrest. “Government hospitals offer free services to the public. We held them for questioning and later released them on bond, but we are investigating the circumstances under which they demanded money from the patient,” said Mr Mugizi.

Mr Mugizi also revealed he had received information that some of the medics at the hospital are on a sit-down strike to protest the arrest of the interns, but warned that those caught striking will be arrested. “If any worker is found neglecting his or her duties in the name of protesting police’s action, we shall arrest them. They are condoning crime and they know it,” Mr Mugizi said.
However, medical workers who talked to Daily Monitor on condition of anonymity, accused police of acting as though they do not know the state of lack in which the hospitals operate.

“Patients here are expected to purchase everything doctors use during child birth right from syringes, and gloves because they are not available here. How do you expect a doctor to operate on a patient who does not have them?” one of the workers asked.
The principal hospital administrator, Ms Regina Mukisa, declined to comment on the matter and referred this newspaper to the hospital director, Dr Sophie Namasopo, who was not available for comment as her known telephone numbers were unavailable by press time.

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