A family in Lungujja is in distress after Mengo Hospital allegedly declined to release the body of their son, Jessey Kiberu, due to an outstanding medical bill totaling Shs 64 million.
Brian Kalenge, the family’s lawyer, said Kiberu had a history of mental illness and had gone missing for three weeks before being found and admitted to Mengo Hospital’s ICU, where he later passed away. The family was shocked to learn that he had suffered multiple organ failure, which they believe may have been caused by medication taken while he was missing.
Click here to join our WhatsApp Group and Receive Daily News
The hospital reportedly attributed the hefty bill to the high costs of detoxification and intensive care. Although the family initially faced a demand of Shs 30 million, the bill later rose to Shs 64 million. Through fundraising, they managed to collect Shs 25 million and hoped it would be enough to retrieve Kiberu’s body for burial. However, during a meeting on Wednesday, hospital officials allegedly insisted that the body would not be released until the full balance was paid, leaving the family deeply distressed.
When approached, Mengo Hospital’s managing director, Dr. Simon Peter Nsingo, said he was in meetings and would comment later.
Legal experts have criticized the hospital’s actions, calling them a violation of human rights. Ruth Ajalo, a lawyer with the Center for Health, Human Rights, and Development (CEHURD), said holding bodies over unpaid bills is both unlawful and unethical. She referenced a 2023 High Court ruling where CEHURD successfully challenged a similar case involving a 14-year-old boy held over a Shs 4 million debt.
Ajalo emphasized that hospitals, whether public or private, have no legal right to detain bodies over unsettled payments. “This is a gross violation of human dignity,” she said, noting that if a hospital is owed money, the proper channel is to seek redress through the courts, not by withholding remains.
The case highlights ongoing concerns about hospital practices that came under scrutiny during the COVID-19 pandemic, when similar incidents sparked widespread criticism.
Also Read: Amama Mbabazi’s Daughter Wanted Over Unpaid Shs 450m Loan
