ARUA – Human Rights Activists group, Chapter Four has threatened to sue the Resident District Commissioner (RDC) of Arua, Oyaa Nahori and Deputy RDC, Alice Akello Opiyo for harrassing the nurse who wheeled an expectant mother, after the ambulance the health facility she had ordered for, failed to show up.
In a letter written by Nicholas Opiyo, Executive Director, Chapter Four, he warned the two against harrassing the health workers as well as journalists who highlighted the incidence to the public.
He wrote, “We take exception to the conduct of the Deputy RDC threatening and harrassing our clients. We implore you to stop forthwith failure of which we shall take legal actions against any persons who are responsible for their violations in their individual capacity.”
On April 9th, 2020, Doris Oku’dinia, an enrolled nurse at Ediofe Health Centre III wheeled a patient on a wheel chair for over 2kms, after an ambulance they had requested for failed to show up. This was after President Museveni had announced a new set of measures like ban on public transport as mitigation measures to contain spread of Coronavirus in Uganda.
When the heroic photo of Oku’dinia was publisged on social media, the two RDCs acted angrily, blaming the nurses and health facility administrators as well as journalists for dragging Government in bad light, accusing Oku’dinia of endangering life of the patient.
Reports further indicated that the RDCs had summoned the team by phone to report to their office and explain their actions, summons Chapter Four described as informal, and said their clients won’t honour the summons until the RDCs spell out the particular laws suspects are being summoned.
“We seek better particulars of the accusations and provisions of the law that you or any other person is accusing our clients of violations to enable us to advise our clients appropriately. Our clients won’t be able to honour your summons unless the above is provided,” noted Opiyo.
