The Walewale Municipal Hospital has been compelled to discharge an assaulted patient after more than a week of unsuccessful attempts to reach his relatives, hospital authorities have confirmed.
The patient, 30-year-old Sambor Umar, was admitted with serious injuries following an assault in Wulugu in the North East Region, where he was accused of attempting theft.
Medical staff say he arrived unconscious on December 1 and required intensive care during his first few days of admission.
However, what began as a routine emergency case quickly escalated into a major welfare and logistical challenge for the facility.
Despite repeated phone calls and outreach attempts, the man’s family and community members allegedly refused to respond to the hospital’s invitations or take responsibility for his continued care.
A senior hospital administrator said all attempts to engage his relatives proved futile.
“He was brought here on Monday last week,” Senior Nurse Simon Jabik narrated.
“He was assaulted, and the ambulance brought him. When he came, he was unconscious with cutlass wounds on his body. We managed and resuscitated him, and he is a bit stable now. But we are struggling to get in contact with any family member so we can discharge him and send him back to his family.”
“He is now a challenge to us. Our ward is small; there is no space. We have people who need urgent care, and we don’t have space for them.”
The reasons behind the community’s refusal remain unclear, though hospital staff and a local social welfare officer say there are indications the man may have been disowned prior to the assault.
His elder brother reportedly refused to respond to the hospital’s calls, citing a previous incident in which he was arrested after standing surety for him in a theft case. The Assemblyman and the community chief also declined to intervene.
With no guardian available to take responsibility, and with limited resources to keep a non-critical patient indefinitely, hospital authorities say they had no choice but to discharge him.
The hospital is appealing to the Social Welfare Directorate to provide temporary accommodation or support services for the patient.
