Customize Consent Preferences

We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions. You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below.

The cookies that are categorized as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site. ... 

Always Active

Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site, such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data.

No cookies to display.

Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collecting feedback, and other third-party features.

No cookies to display.

Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.

No cookies to display.

Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.

No cookies to display.

Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customized advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns.

No cookies to display.

Family Grapples with Medical Bill

Home Archived Family Grapples with Medical Bill

By Anna Shilongo

WINDHOEK

The//Garoes family, who recently lost their relative Sanna Helena //Garoes to the elusive B1 Butcher, have been slapped with a medical bill she incurred in 2006.

She had incurred the bill when an unknown suspect shot her in the right thigh.

It appears the City of Windhoek Emergency Unit stretchered the B1 Butcher’s latest victim from the scene of a shooting at the time, resulting in her receiving a bill of N$ 517.03 that they have constantly demanded from her and of late from her family.

Since the late //Garoes was unable to settle the bill as she was unemployed, the City of Windhoek (municipality) kept sending invoices to her threatening legal action if the bill was not settled.

In a letter dated 15 June 2007, the City of Windhoek threatened to take legal action against her if she did not settle the bill by July 16, not knowing her fate at the time.

According to a relative, when //Garoes left home for Windhoek she was hoping to find a job in order to settle her outstanding bill that threatened legal action.

But the question is who is going to pay the bill since the person whom the council rendered the service to is no longer alive? And are there exceptions when it comes to such cases?

Assistant Superintendent and Public Relations Officer of the City of Windhoek Emergency Unit, Marx Hipandwa, said //Garoes’ bill was going to be forwarded to the council’s credit control for further discussion to determine the next step forward.

Asked whether the council was going to write off the bill or not Hipandwa was unable to confirm it, adding that it was up to the council to make the final decision.

“I am currently not in a position to tell whether the family will continue paying the bill or not. It is also better if the family approaches us and shares their problems. I know the council has a social fund which assists those that are unable; this fund mostly assists elders that are unable to settle their bills and so on,” said the PR.

He said it was only through communication that the council could work efficiently with the public.

“How are we supposed to smell that the S. //Garoes that owes us is the one who was butchered? It is only when family bring their problems to our attention that council will look into the matter and see the way forward, otherwise if they don’t, we will keep sending the bill requesting you to pay.

There are so many S. //Garoes’s on our system,” said an officer from the current account section.