Health workers arrested for vending Covid-19 vaccination cards

HOIMA – Police in Hoima have in custody 3 suspects, for theft, forgery and utterance of falsified COVID-19 vaccination cards.

Police say they were on January 6, 2022, tipped about a suspect who was vending the Ministry of Health, vaccination cards at 50.000 shillings each to unvaccinated people.

“As a result, a trap was set-up and the culprit who was identified as Bigirwa Ivan, a 34-year-old, cleaner at Butema Health Centre III, in Hoima district arrested.  Upon interrogation, he admitted to selling genuine vaccination cards to unvaccinated people within Hoima district.”

Police say Mr. Bigirwa further revealed his accomplices as Enyong Emmanuel, a Health Assistant and Aheebwa Rhoda, the in-charge Butema Health centre III, who supplied him with the vaccination cards.  He would then proceed to sell them and insert names, dates and phones, vaccination dates for the unvaccinated buyers.

“The public should know that the vaccination card is a valuable document amidst the unprecedented challenges of COVID-19. A number of governments have started adopting it as a requirement to get into certain workplaces.  The strict rules for the unvaccinated, could have given the opportunity for fake and falsified COVID-19 vaccination cards,” said police in a statement.

They also warned the public, especially unvaccinated but eligible persons and unscrupulous dealers that using fake COVID-19 vaccination cards bearing the Ministry of Health Logo is a crime.

“Therefore, all those found with fake or falsified COVID-19 vaccination cards should know that they are in serious breach of the COVID-19 protocols and must be prepared to face serious punishments for conspiracy, forgery, the utterance of false documents and for negligent acts likely to cause the spread of an infectious disease.”