Catholic church biggest hospital St Francis’ Hospital, Nsambya Kampala is in the spotlight again for detaining for over three months, a mother, who lost her unborn child over uncleared medical bills.
The woman identified as Caroline Nassake has been in detention for more than three months after she failed to clear a medical bill of Shs 2.2 million.
It is alleged Nassaka developed pregnancy complications and was admitted at Nsambya hospital on March24th,2020 and medics advised for a surgical operation.
During the operation, she lost her unborn baby and after four days of treatment, her bill had accumulated to Shs 3,932,300 as of March 27, 2020, when she was due for discharge.
Her mother sold off her livestock but only managed to pay Shs 1,750,000 of the bills, leaving an outstanding balance of Shs 2,182,300. This is because Nassaka didn’t know the father of her pregnancy since conception was as a result of rape.
Failing to raise the remaining balances, the hospital has since detained the patient and its alleged that she is in Regina Ward until the entire bill, is cleared.
Pricilla Nassaka and the mother said that Caroline is traumatised for the long detentions and for being denied to bury her lost baby.
Counsel Francis Harimwomugasho and other lawyers from Newmark Advocates had by press time written to the hospital management to released their client with an immediate effect. These argue that the actions by the hospital makes their client a subject of mental torture for staying in the same place where she lost her child.
Lawyers have given a five days ultimatum to the hospital to release Nassaka and compensate her family with Shs 200m for the mental distresses caused in the last three months.
They say that Nsambya hospital has never been a gazetted detention centre and has no right to curtail anyone’s freedom of movement.
Sister Mary Cleophas Kizito, the Nsambya hospital administrator declined to comment about the specific case on account that she needed time to consult. She, however, denied the allegations that the hospital detains patients who fail to clear bills.
