UGANDA, Kampala | Real Muloodi News | Ruparelia Group management has publicly denied ownership of UMC Victoria Hospital, following a row erupting between government agencies over the hospital.
Earlier reports had suggested the facility at the centre of this controversy is part of Sudhir’s Ruparelia Group, however the conglomerate dismissed this as false in a statement released over the weekend.
The hospital has recently been at the centre of a row between Ministers Betty Among of Gender, Labour and Social Development, and Rtd. Maj. Gen. Kahinda Otafiire of Internal Affairs, over internal body organ testing for Ugandans seeking to work abroad.
Early this month, the government announced that all persons intending to work in Arab nations will be rigorously screened for internal organs to combat allegations of lost body parts at work.
Following this, Otafiire sent a letter dated May 27, 2022, mandating all labour export corporations to conduct all tests at UMC Victoria Hospital at Bukoto, which was challenged by his Gender ministry colleague.
According to Otafiire, the aforementioned facility, which was wrongly alleged to be owned by local tycoon Sudhir Ruparelia, was the only one approved by the Internal Security Organisation (ISO) and the United Nations (UN) to conduct organ testing.
Following receipt of the minister’s letter, Dr Anuraga Shah, the CEO of UMC Victoria Hospital, wrote to all registered labour export organisations on June 6, 2022, alerting them of the minister’s mandate.
The Uganda Association of External Recruitment Agencies (UAERA) petitioned its line Minister Amongi, through their chairperson Baker Akantambira, to express their dissatisfaction with the new situation.
Amongi said that her ministry is in charge of negotiating with and regulating migrant labourers in the nation.
She stated that her ministry had previously signed many agreements with the Gulf Cooperation Council, which oversees all workers seeking employment overseas, particularly in Arab nations.
She suggested that the only option for UMC Victoria Hospital to be included on the list is to negotiate with the government, namely her ministry and the Gulf Cooperation Council; otherwise, Otafiire’s directions are unlawful.
After learning about the development, Ruparelia Group of Companies, the conglomerate owned by Businessman Sudhir Ruparelia, dismissed reports linking them to UMC Victoria Hospital, saying the group has never been the owners nor affiliated to the hospital facility.
“For clarity, the above-mentioned business entity is not part of Ruparelia group of companies, and has never been,” Ruparelia Group’s management said.
“We appreciate the media for bringing this to our attention, but we also urge them to always verify information before writing. In this case, the correct information about the ownership of Victoria Hospital could have been sought from Uganda registration services Bureau (URSB), ” they added.
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