By Our Reporter
Police in Hoima has in custody 3 members of staff of Butema Health Center lll in custody for theft, forgery and utterance of falsified covid-19 vaccination cards.
According to Police, on January 6, 2022, they were tipped about a suspect who was vending the Ministry of Health, Vaccination cards at 50,000 shillings each to unvaccinated people.
Police identified the culprit as Ivan Bigirwa 34, a cleaner at Butema Health Center lll who upon interrogation admitted to selling the cards to unvaccinated people within Hoima District.
He also 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 that he would then proceed to sell and insert names, dates and phones, vaccination dates for the unvaccinated buyers.
“Our task team is expanding investigations into the matter. We are also at a national level taken interest into concerns surrounding the manufacturing and forgery of COVID-19 vaccination cards with electronic devices especially along Nasser road.” Said the Police mouthpiece Fred Enanga
Police further urged the public to understand the value of the vaccination card amidst the unprecedented challenges of COVID-19 as a number of governments have started adopting it as a requirement to get into certain work places. The strict rules for the unvaccinated, could have given opportunity for fake and falsified COVID-19 vaccination cards.
Police further warns the public especially unvaccinated but eligible persons and unscrupulous dealers against using fake covid-19 vaccination cards bearing the Ministry of Health Logo is a crime.
“For those who are not aware, all Ministry of Health vaccination cards are stored in the database. We shall therefore, be conducting proof of vaccination, from the digital vaccine verification database, once it is activated,” He added
Police further warned that people found with fake or falsified COVID-19 vaccination cards Should prepare to face the law for conspiracy, utterance of false documents and for negligent acts that are likely to cause the spread of an infectious disease.
