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 22nd 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.
Families
and friend of patients admitted at AMI hospital were seen processing
documents to transfer their patients. Those who were bringing in new
patients were returned by the gate. There is also information that AMI
Hospital Bank accounts at EXIM Bank which were attached by the Courts
were found to have been unfrozen and most funds emptied.
It is
now clear that AMI hospital will be closed down despites its several
appeal attempts to stop eviction, leaving its loyal patients in limbo.
The
hospital had failed to comply with Tanzania Court of Appeal order that
wanted it to deposit in court $1.514 million plus a monthly rent to a
tune of $64,000 per month following a tenancy agreement dispute.
AMI
Plc Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mr Theunis Peter Botha, also a
Director and CEO of the local AMI Hospital in Tanzania, subsequently
filed the Bankruptcy application in the High Court of Tanzania stating
that it was operating insolvently having incurred losses for the past
two years.
AMI Tanzania is wholly owned by its London Company AMI Plc.
In a
bankruptcy petition filed in March this year before the High Court's
Main Registry, the company alleges that it has been incurring losses in
terms of billions to the extent of having several outstanding
liabilities and debts which are now exceeding its ability to pay to
different creditors.
"The
petitioner (AMI) incurred a net loss of $1.146 million in the year ended
February 28, 2013, while in the year ended February 28, 2014, the
petitioner incurred a net loss of 775,000 US dollars," reads a section
of the petition document.
It is
stated that the company was also required to pay outstanding dues to
institutes, notably the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) and the
Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) and individuals.
According
to the petition, given the value of the assets of the company and the
amount of money owed to it by creditors, there was no way it would be
able to raise enough funds for paying them as well as meeting her
obligations.
There
are also records showing that Lancet Laboratory (T) Ltd filed for an
urgent application against AMI Hospital eviction claiming over Sh150
million owed to them by AMI Hospital.
Inside
information has it that several creditors are now in a limbo as the
Hospital owes over $4m to them including the biggest creditor being the
Landlord Mr Bains, Doctors, Staff, TRA, Pharmaceutical suppliers and
other suppliers.
source: JIACHIE BLOG