Creditors try to impound beds from Health Center

Pader, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Two creditors stormed Pajule Health Centre IV in Pader district on Friday in an attempt to impound assets of the health facility for unpaid work.  David Opira and Francis Odokonyero Lanyango raided the medical ward and tried to impound property.

Tito Brilliant, the Pajule Urban Town Council LC III Chairperson, says that while in the ward the creditors ordered patients out with intentions of impounding mattresses and beds that they would later auction to recover their money.

He says that the incident caused animosity between patients, caregivers and creditors briefly paralyzing operations at the facility. He, however, says that they managed to alert the police that swung into action and stopped the creditors from proceeding with their action.

David Opira, one of the claimants, says the administrators of the health unit contracted them in June this year to demolish a dilapidated structure, ferry expired drugs and maintain cleanliness at the facility at Shillings 1.2 million.

He, however, says that their repeated pleas to the authorities to pay them hit a dead end.

The health facility in charge, Justine Onyuk Luciamoi, says that his repeated efforts to ensure that the claimants are paid have not been successful since the demolition exercise wasn’t planned for and therefore had no vote.

Pader District vice Chairperson, Justine Ocen, who also doubles as District Health Secretary, has condemned the incident particularly the creditors storming the ward.

Ocen says that the district health department is aware of the matter in regards to the unpaid dues, saying all necessary steps are being undertaken to ensure the claimants are fully settled.

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