Mortician Nabbed by IGG for Posing as Pathologist in Tororo Hospital Postmortem

A mortuary worker at Tororo District General Hospital, Moses Owino, was apprehended on Monday during a surprise inspection by Inspector General of Government Lady Justice Aisha Nalule Batala.

The IGG team caught Owino in the act of conducting a postmortem on a body placed directly on the bare floor, lacking any medical qualifications or legal permission to do so.

Owino initially boasted of years of experience but could not justify his actions under questioning. He confessed after officials raised alarms about the improper treatment of the remains.

Two hospital managers, senior administrator Proscovia Awino and administrator Livingstone Okape, were arrested alongside him as investigations probe potential complicity.

Only qualified pathologists with forensic expertise are authorized to perform autopsies to establish causes of death. Director of Ombudsman Affairs Kakooza Savio Ntensibe highlighted risks to public trust, legal validity, and health safety.

Owino faces potential charges like unlicensed medical practice, mishandling human remains, and public health breaches. Families involved expressed outrage over the disrespectful handling.

Police note that reports from unqualified individuals hold no evidential weight in court, with impersonation carrying severe penalties under Ugandan law.

The probe continues, with calls for better supervision in public mortuaries to prevent such lapses.

Source: Daily Monitor (Uganda)