'Fake nurses arrested'

PIC: Suspected 'fake nurses.' Nakigozi and Nzukidwa were found with fake academic documents by the Health Monitoring Unit. (Courtesy photo)

HEALTH

KAMPALA - Fake nurses who treated hundreds of patients minus any medical qualifications have been arrested by the Health Monitoring Unit (HMU).

Thirty eight year-old Sarah Nakigozi, one of the fake nurses worked at Kawolo Hospital as a senior nursing officer for five years and was responsible for checking women for cervical cancer and administering jabs to children.

While Justine Nzukidwa (36), worked at Njeru health centre III and was responsible for administering drugs.

"The two fake nurses landed those top positions after they presented fake certificates from Uganda nurses and midwives council and fake academic documents from Mulago school of nursing and midwifery.

"They have been using enrollment numbers for different people. They have been on Government pay for five years," said Dr Jackson Ojera, the head of HMU.

The head of Health Monitoring Unit, Dr Ojera addresses media. (Courtesy photo)

Dr Ojera noted that the crackdown has started in Buikwe district where there are so many imposters masquerading as enrolled nurses and getting a lot of money from patients.

"We are calling upon the public not to allow to be attended to by nurses who are not in uniforms. if you suspect someone to be a quack, let us know.

"We also advise students who wish to join the health professional to make sure that they go and study from registered schools which have addresses not individuals," he said.

Addressing journalists, Jennifer Awati, a senior nursing officer with HMU revealed that the two fake nurses were trained for one year by an individual in Bugembe village in Jinja district who claimed to have connections at the ministry of health.

"We are looking for that man who has been training and giving false academic documents to people.

"He is misleading the young people. We are worried that they are many nurses with other health institutions with forged papers. We are sure that these two nurses we arrested must have harmed people," said Awati.

Letters seen by New Vision from Mulago School of nursing and midwifery signed by Nampiima Kakonjeera, the acting principal show that the two nurses forged their academic certificates.

"The school confirms that their academic documents are not for Mulago school of nursing and midwifery since that time the school was offering registered nursing only yet their certificates state that they obtained a certificate in enrolled nursing," reads a letter.

In her response, Rebecca Nassuna, the deputy registrar Uganda nurses and midwives' council (UNMC) said that the two nurses are not allowed to practice nursing because their names do not exist on the roll and register for UNMC.

"Nakigozi presented an enrollment certificate with an enrollment number 8441 but that number belongs to someone else. Nzukidwa's practicing license number 22731 is for someone called Quivino Okot, a qualified pediatrician," said Nassuna.

The dual are being held at Kira Police station and they will be charged with forgery, causing financial loss to government and uttering false and forged documents.

Nurses and midwives work as frontline health care givers, who play a key role in ensuring patients to get quality care.