NOT OUR ENTITY! Ruparelia Group clarifies on ownership of Victoria Hospital now shrouded in migrant workers’ organ testing controversy

The management of Ruparelia Group has revealed that they have never owned UMC Victoria hospital in which Ministers; Betty Among of Gender Labour and Social Development, and Rtd. Maj. Gen. Kahinda Otafiire of Internal Affairs are fighting over a deal to test the internal organs of all people who are seeking to work abroad especially in Arab countries.

Early this month, the government resolved to have all people seeking to work in Arab countries checked thoroughly for their internal organs in a bid to fight claims of loss of their body parts while at work.

Following this, Otafiire in a letter dated 27th May, 2022, instructed all labour export companies to only use UMC Victoria Hospital Bukoto to do the testing which was in turn protested by his Gender ministry counterpart.

Otafiire says that the said hospital, which was falsely reported to be owned by city tycoon Sudhir Ruparelia was the only one accredited by the Internal Security Organisation (ISO) and the United Nations (UN) to do the organ testing.

Upon receiving the minister’s letter, Dr. Anuraga Shah, the UMC Victoria hospital boss, on 6th June, 2022, wrote to all registered labour export companies informing them of the minister’s directive.

The labour export companies under their association of Uganda Association of the External Recruitment Agencies (UAERA), through their chairperson Baker Akantambira, petitioned their line minister Amongi complaining about the new development.

In response, the furious Amongi noted that her ministry is the one responsible for negotiations and regulating migrant workers in the country.

She revealed that her ministry had already signed several agreements with the Gulf Cooperation Council which is responsible with supervising all workers seeking employment abroad especially in Arab countries.

She advised that the only way UMC Victoria hospital will be allowed on the list is through negotiations with the government, particularly her ministry and the Gulf Cooperation Council, otherwise Otafiire’s directives are illegal.

After learning of the development, management of Ruparelia Group noted that, “For clarity, the above mentioned business entity is not part of Ruparelia group of companies, and has never been.”

“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).”