Lira health worker held over extortion

Police in Lira District are holding a health worker over allegations of extortion of money from patients in exchange for medical services.

Benedict Ogwal, a theatre assistant at Ogur Health Centre IV in Ogur Sub-county, Lira District was arrested on October 7, 2024 after some patient attendants accused him for demanding money from them prior to an operation.

According to a police report, Ogwal allegedly asked for Shs 200, 000 from each patient to be operated and he had already received Shs150,000 from each of three patients who were already operated.

Further, an expectant mother was operated on condition that she would offer Shs200, 000 the following day.

“It’s reported that one of the patient attendants who didn’t have money and his patient was not attended to informed police resulting in the arrest of the suspect,” police noted.

North Kyoga Police Spokesperson Patrick Jimmy Okema revealed told journalists that investigation into the matter are ongoing.

“…and once complete, the suspect will be taken to court to answer the charge against him,” he noted.

“A case of extortion has been registered at Lira CPS. Some exhibits were recovered- that is; three bars of soap, three buckets of detergent and some money found with the suspect,” he added on Friday.

Okema encouraged the public to report cases of extortion to police so that the perpetrators are arrested and prosecuted.

“This is happening in many health facilities but the community failed to report to police due to fear of not being attended to,” he added.