Virginia Woman Accused of Posing as Doctor in Uganda, Causing ‘Hundreds’ of Children to Die
‘WHITE SAVIOR COMPLEX’
A Virginia woman who founded a Christian nonprofit in Uganda is facing allegations she caused “hundreds” of children to die by posing as a doctor when she had no medical qualifications, The New York Daily News reports. Two mothers, Gimbo Brenda and Kakai Annet, are suing 29-year-old Renee Bach after both their children allegedly died in Bach’s care. Brenda and Annet claim Bach was frequently seen wearing a white coat and stethoscope, and also administering medicine to children. They said they were only told that Bach had no medical experience after their children had died. Health authorities in Uganda had also allegedly shut down Bach’s facility in 2015 and instructed her not to treat anymore children. “It is unacceptable, narcissistic behavior, for anyone, black or white, rich or poor, missionary or angel to pass off as a ‘medical practitioner’ when they are not,” Beatrice Kayaga, spokeswoman for Women’s Probono Initiative, said in a statement. “By doing so, they mislead unsuspecting vulnerable members of the public.”
Bach has denied the allegations and maintained that she never represented herself as a doctor. In a statement, Bach’s lawyer said his client and her organization—Serving His Children—provided “nutritional care” from “qualified medical professionals” to rural areas. The attorney also called the mothers behind the lawsuit “reputational terrorists” and said the legal action would be “vigorously answered in court.” In a Fox News interview on Wednesday, Bach admitted that she “definitely had a white savior complex” when first arriving in the country to volunteer, but said she came to realize that a “privileged” person like herself “wasn't even needed” in the country.