Injured police officer seeks support

Mr Pius Emiria on his hospital bed at Naguru hospital in Kampala yesterday. PHOTO BY SHIFFA KULANYI

What you need to know:

Occurrence. The police officer was involved in an accident as he rode a motorcycle from his workplace in Nsambya.

Kampala.

Fifty-year-old Pius Emiria, a police officer with the Very Important People’s Protection Unit (VIPPU) of the police force, was involved in a life-threatening accident on June 16 on Hoima Road as he returned to his Old Kampala home from deployment at Naguru.

“I don’t clearly recall how it all happened but a taxi knocked me off my motor cycle and it hit my right leg,” Emiria narrated with a tinge of pain.

Scans done on June 18 at Mulago hospital revealed that Mr Emiria sustained three fractures on Tibia and Fibula bones of his right leg. Doctors at Naguru Hospital have recommended that he goes for surgery at the Comprehensive Rehabilitation Services in Uganda (CorSu), a private Kisubi-based hospital but he lacks the medical fees.

Given that it is unlikely for him to resume his duties at VIPPU due to his advanced age and disabling accident, the officer’s only prayer is for the Force to meet his medical entitlement.

Treatment at CorSu will costs upto Shs6 million but Emiria’s family and friends have only managed to raise Shs470,000. Doctors have recommended that he gets a longer set of stabilising equipment for his leg bones if he hopes to walk again.

“CorSu is one of the few hospitals that have the equipment but cannot lend it out. Treatment at CorSu will cost me Shs5-6 million which I cannot afford,” Mr Emiria cried out.

The policeman claimed that when he contacted the commandant of the Nsambya-based VIPPU, he asked him, if he didn’t know where to report traffic offences. “I decided not to give up and called the staff officer VIPPU and informed her of my situation. She told me she would see what to do and hanged up the call,” Mr Emiria said.

However, the VIPPU commandant Elias Kasirabo said yesterday the case has not been brought to his attention. “I have not received any news about the incident. We have a whole medical directorate that handles those matters,” Mr Kasirabo said.

VIPPU staff officer Jacqueline Nakintu said Emiria’s case is being handled. “We have not neglected Emiria. His case is being handled and we are processing his papers. The case has been sent to another welfare office,” Ms Nakintu said on phone.

Mr Emiria, however, admitted that his immediate in charge visited him last Sunday and requested him to write a letter asking for financial help. “I did, he took it and promised to return on Monday at 9am but I have been waiting in vain. My wish is to get assistance because the accident happened during the course of duty,” Mr Emiria said

About the victim

Pius Emiria has worked for the Uganda Police Force for more than 25years. He was first deployed to Bushenyi in 1991 and in 1993 he was transferred to Kitgum. His deployment in 1996 was at Old Kampala Police Station before being transferred to Nsambya in 2011 where he is still stationed. The case was reported under traffic cases reference number TAR 202116 at Old Kampala Police Station.