Virginia Missionary in Uganda Accused of Impersonating a Doctor and Causing Deaths of 2 Children
An American Christian missionary is accused of running an illegal medical facility in Uganda and causing the deaths of at least two children.
Renee Bach, a native of Virginia, has been named in a lawsuit filed by Women’s Probono Initiative (WPI) and two Ugandan mothers who claim their children died while under Bach’s care.
According to a WPI press release, the Ugandan women claim to have been duped by Bach and her non-profit, Serving His Children.
“The mothers allege that they were led to believe that Ms. Renee Bach was a ‘medical doctor’ and that her home was a ‘medical facility,'” the release says. “She was often seen wearing a white coat, a stethoscope and often administered medications to children in her care.”
“When their children died, however, they were told that Ms. Renee has no training at all in medicine,” the release continues. “In 2015, the District Health Officer had closed her facility and ordered her to not offer any treatment to any child.”
Bach, 29, has been a missionary in Uganda for several years.
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In a 2017 interview with WSET-TV, Bach said her organization had treated more than 3,400 Ugandan children suffering from severe malnutrition since 2011. She told the station that she loved Uganda so much that she “fell in love” with the country during a 10-month mission trip she was just 18. She even adopted a Ugandan girl in 2015.
Bach’s attorney, David Gibbs, says that the allegations are false and that his client was merely trying to help the less fortunate.
“For the last ten years, Renee Bach and Serving His Children have served malnourished children in Uganda.” Gibbs said in a statement. “As Ms. Bach worked alongside Ugandan medical professionals, she learned skills to help provide assistance as necessary; and she often assisted nurses and other healthcare professionals to serve in crisis situations.”
The statement continues: “These sensational allegations are patently false and fail to recognize the 3,600 malnourished children who have recovered because of the care and treatment provided by Serving His Children.”
A trial is scheduled in a Ugandan court for January 2020. It is not clear if Bach is currently in Uganda or the United States.
