Hospital to release politician body detained over $45,000 bill after Machar intervened

The body of a politician detained by a hospital in Uganda for more than 10 days over unpaid hospital bills amounting to $45,000, can now be flown to Juba after the First Vice President Dr Riek Machar intervened.

This is according to lawmaker Jok Riak, representing Baliet Constituency in the Upper Nile State Assembly.

MP Jok says the government of Upper Nile State has finally released money to clear the medical bill for the late Duoth Chol Lual after a hospital detained the body, a state member of the assembly has said.

The head of the Employees’ Justice Commission in Upper Nile State succumbed to a long illness on the 25^th of August while receiving treatment in Kampala.

According to Jok Riak, the unnamed hospital demanded 45,000 US dollars in medical bills to release the remains of Duoth Chol Lual.

But the state authorities five days later relieved the deceased and refused to facilitate the transportation of the body, a decision compelling the state MPs to speak to the Presidency to address the concern.

However, Jok said the state governor yesterday paid the money and preparations to transport the late’s body to South Sudan.

“We went to the governor for the facilitation of the body and the payment of the arrays that was for the treatment bill in the hospital, but the governor said he had no money, and let the community do fundraising and bring the body,” MP Jok said.

“This has brought an outcry from the community, and we tried with him but we failed. After we failed we went to the First Vice President [Dr Riek Machar] and complained to him about the unfortunate response from the governor to bring the body,” he said.

“The FVP promised us that he would talk to the governor to pay this money because is the responsibility of the government to facilitate the body of the official,” Jok said.

“The governor responded after the pressure from FVP, and he paid the money for the transportation of the body of Hon Doth Chol Lual, so the money was paid yesterday [Monday, September 4], and the body will be transported within these days,” he said.