Lira Referral Hospital cautions Public against Imposters, calls on Media to join fight to avert the Vice

By Patrick Okino

Lira Regional Referral Hospital has issued a strong warning to patients and the public over conmen posing as hospital staff and extorting money from unsuspecting patients.

Meeting the media on Friday, April 10, at the facility, the acting hospital director, Dr Andrew Odur, said imposters often dress smartly in suits and target patients seeking medical care, despite having no connection to the facility.

Dr. Odur said some fraudsters even learn basic medical terms to appear convincing to patients.

“You know medical knowledge is not widely known. When you find anybody dressed in a suit here, he approaches you and says you have a problem and that he is going to solve it, but you must pay sh200,000. You may end up complying because you need services, yet many of these people are not connected to the hospital,” Odur said.

“We need to work together and get rid of these people from the hospital,” he noted during media engagement.

There have been several cases of imposters defrauding unsuspecting patients at the facility, with the latest incident being the arrest of Moses Okello two months ago.

Okello was arrested from the female surgical ward, where he allegedly defrauded a patient’s caregiver of sh200,000, claiming it would expedite medical services and surgery.

He is said to have posed as a medical officer at the hospital and reportedly demanded sh500,000 to facilitate a quick medical procedure. A down payment was made, with the balance expected to be paid after the procedure.

Dr. Odur also explained that CT scan and dialysis services are available at the facility, and patients can access them by making contributions that help support the hospital’s maintenance.

“Dialysis is a very expensive service, but here a patient pays only sh80,000 per cycle. It is the cheapest in the country because other patients are paying up to sh500,000,” he said, adding that many people are flocking to the facility because of the lower cost.

He advised the public never to pay money for hospital services to individuals, but only through official channels, including the Uganda Revenue Authority.

Dr. Odur also appealed to the media to support efforts to resolve ongoing land disputes, stating that about 10.4 acres of hospital land have been encroached upon.

“When the time comes, we shall work with the Office of the President, and we shall not spare them. They need to leave now,” he warned.

He further called for collaboration in addressing broader public health challenges, including road accidents, non-communicable diseases, and rising drug abuse among youth.

The hospital’s Principal Administrator, Peter Okello Odeke, warned against individuals allegedly spreading false claims that the hospital’s CT scan machine is not functional in order to divert patients for commissions.

“We need to inform the public that when you are told the machine is not working, let it be clear that these services are available for everyone,” he said.

The Resident City Commissioner, Lawrence Egole, praised the hospital for organizing its first-ever media engagement, saying it was important in balancing public perception.

He noted that the hospital has faced both positive and negative publicity, and emphasized the media’s role as the “fourth estate” in governance.

“The media is the fourth estate of governance. Journalists play a key role in informing and correcting society,” he said.

However, he warned against the spread of misinformation on social media, saying it damages public trust in health services.

“Why would someone discourage others from seeking services and cause them to die at home? We become murderers if we continue spreading misinformation,” he said.

Egole also said that many people with smartphones now wrongly assume they are journalists, contributing to the spread of unverified information online.

He urged lawmakers to strengthen laws on misinformation and defamation, arguing that current legislation is too weak to hold offenders accountable.

“Those responsible for legislation should clearly define the boundaries of publishing false information and ensure stronger enforcement,” he said.