Panic as AMI hospital evicted over non-payment of Tsh3bn rental bills

 Patients and relatives who went to seek medical attention at African Medical Investment Ltd (AMI Hospital, also known as Trauma Center) in Dar es Salaam were yesterday in shock to see court brokers attaching hospital belonging after AMI failed to pay its rental bills for the past 26 months that accumulated to $1.6million.

Speaking to journalists who went to witness the eviction court broker from MEM Auctioneers and General Brokers Ltd, Mr Elieza Mbwambwa, said they were carrying out a court order issued by the High Court of Tanzania, Commercial Division, following a long commercial legal battle involving AMI and a local businessman, Mr Navtej Singh Bains, (the land Lord).

He said that the court ordered for attachment of AMI hospital properties to compensate for the dept, mentioning that as at yesterday, a number of AMI properties were confiscated including three ambulances, one Saloon car (Mark II), special hospital beds, computers, chairs and other hospital gadgets.

“Although we were given an order to confiscate everything at once after the elapse of 14 days notice, which falls today, we have considered humanity in executing this assignment because this is an hospital. We have only taken items that are not used by inn-patients (those who are already admitted).

“We have given the hospital a notice to evacuate admitted patients by 22^nd this month of May. If they don’t comply by this time, we will transfer them to other hospitals and hand over the building to the landlord. This has been done in a humanitarian level. We have not disturbed already-admitted patients, but from today onwards, not any other new patient will be allowed in,” he said.

Mr Mbwambwa said that machines like city-scan, x-ray machines and others           that are still being used by in-patients have been recorded and will be attached immediately after transferring the patients.When contacted for his comments on behalf of AMI Hospital management, Mr Lawrence Ochola said briefly that they are still continuing to attend to admitted patients and that he could not comment further