How Mulago hospital’s “fake doctors” are preying on the vulnerable patients

2026-03-21 - 09:45

Mulago national referral hospital is struggling to dismantle a predatory network of extortionists who have infiltrated the facility, posing as medical staff to fleece desperate patients and their families. On a quiet Wednesday evening in the acute children’s emergency ward, a woman known as “Dr Atieno” sat behind a desk, a stethoscope draped around her neck. To frantic parents in line, she appeared to be a lifeline. To the security team that later apprehended her, she was a wolf in a white coat. Penina Atieno, an impersonator with no medical training, is a former hawker who allegedly exploited the hospital’s chaos to solicit bribes. Her arrest coincided with that of an accomplice, Ivan Kamya, who was intercepted in the dental unit. Kamya was allegedly running a “consultation fee” racket, charging patients for services and medications that are, by law, free of charge. He was caught red-handed with Shs 10,000 taken from an attendant who grew suspicious and alerted authorities. But the rot may run deeper than individual conmen. A whistleblower within the hospital’s CCTV unit describes a systemic “underground economy” involving some of the very guards hired to protect the premises. Penina Atieno, captured on CCTV posing as a medic Despite a management ban on hawkers, unauthorised individuals reportedly flood the wards daily. The whistleblower alleges a “pay-to-play” scheme that continues to create space for extortion to thrive. “Each hawker who enters has to give the guards Shs 4,000 daily,” an officer said, speaking on condition of anonymity. “This is the business guards are doing. I report it to managers, but the response is always: ‘We shall handle it.’” The officer describes a climate of impunity so brazen that middlemen have reportedly fought over “territory” within the casualty and assessment centres. The sheer complexity of Uganda’s premier public hospital makes it fertile ground for scammers, as impersonators convince families that “facilitation fees” are the only way to bypass long queues or reach specialists. Anne Birungi, who rushed her father to Mulago after an accident, fell victim to such a scheme. She paid Shs 22,000 to a man in a clinical coat who promised to call back a doctor. “My father was in pain; we needed help urgently,” Birungi recalled. “He told me the doctor was out of the unit, but a small transport fee would bring him back. I even gave him airtime to make the call.” She eventually found the actual doctor on duty, only to realize the “facilitator” had vanished. Gladys Baligonzaki Kajura, the Mulago hospital spokesperson, confirmed the surge in ward-stalking. “We continue to take action. Together with security, a number of impersonators have been arrested to ensure patients aren’t charged,” Kajura said. She highlighted the establishment of a patient self-care desk to handle grievances and clarify which services are free of charge. Atieno, who was transferred to Wandegeya police station after reportedly threatening self-harm while in custody, is expected to appear in court next week alongside Kamya to face charges of extortion.