In unending drama but reality not reality television, A Regional Referral Hospital and a car mechanic are having a two-month standoff. The machine at the heart of the matter is a critical ambulance, currently grounded at a Kampala garage, with the mechanic threatening legal action over unpaid dues amounting to Shs11 million.
The ambulance, registration number UG 4478 M, has remained in Mr. Kisitu’s garage since November 3, 2024.
Hajj Hamadah Kisitu, mechanic at Nakivubo Central Auto Spares Garage, revealed he has repaired the hospital’s vehicles for 15 years but has spent over five years chasing payment from the same client. He expressed frustration over repeated delays in settling his invoices.
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Mr. Kisitu added that not only does he bear the daily cost of parking, but he has also incurred debts while awaiting payment.
“I now owe the garage and spare parts providers. Every night, I pay Shs3,000 for parking. I don’t have the money, yet the hospital promised to pay me long ago,” he said.
“It was heartbreaking to see a vehicle meant to save lives in such a terrible condition,” he said, detailing how bad the ambulance was.
He went on to explain that the Shs11 million owed to him includes past work on other hospital vehicles.
“I repaired some cars years ago, and they still haven’t paid me. If they settled this debt, I could complete work on the ambulance,” he said.
He also provided that the hospital’s contract stipulates payments must be made within 30 days of completing repairs, a condition he claims has been consistently ignored.
“If they fail to pay me soon, I will have no choice but to take them to court,” he added whilst urging the Ministry of Health to intervene and ensure mechanics contracted by hospitals are timely paid.
The senior hospital administrator, Onesimus Kibaya, confirmed the hospital’s financial constraints but urged Kisitu to formally escalate his complaint.
“We have three ambulances, but only one is operational. The other two, including this one, are in garages. While we acknowledge the debt, Kisitu should write to us instead of rushing to the media,” Mr. Kibaya started.
He retorted that the delay in payment was due to budgetary constraints: “The ambulance was received after funds for the quarter had been released. We are now awaiting additional funding.”
He also reminded the public that during emergencies, the hospital partners with organisations such as the Red Cross and the army to provide backup ambulances, and also that the hospital has reduced its reliance on the national referral hospital due to the availability of specialists; the lack of functional ambulances remains a significant hurdle.
“In the past, we had four referrals a month due to a lack of specialists. Now, thanks to the Ministry of Health, we have experts stationed here. However, we urgently need more reliable ambulances.”
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