Hertta-Maria Amutenja
A cleaner in the Kavango West region has secured a N$300 000 settlement from the Ministry of Health and Social Services following an electric shock he suffered while on duty.
Alfons Hausiku, 32, was electrocuted at the Nankudu District Hospital in March 2024 while assisting in offloading fuel from a truck.
Hausiku sustained electrical burns to his head, chest, right arm, neck, right thigh, and foot, and was hospitalized from 15 March to 5 May.
He sought general damages for pain and suffering as a result of the incident.
Hausiku filed a lawsuit in July this year, alleging that the ministry and its employees were negligent by not providing him with a safe working environment.
In court documents, he argued that the hospital failed to adequately inspect, repair, and safeguard the electrical wires on the premises.
However, the matter has now been resolved with the signing of a settlement agreement.
The Minister of Health and Social Services has agreed to pay Hausiku N$300 000 as a full and final settlement of the claim.
The plaintiff will receive the payment via electronic transfer into their designated bank account within 90 days of the court’s 21 November settlement order.
As part of the settlement, the defendant also agreed to cover the plaintiff’s legal costs.
Both parties have affirmed that the agreement represents a full and final settlement of all claims relating to the matter, with no further action to be taken unless there is a failure to fulfil the terms outlined.
Hausiku claimed that he did not receive the personal protection equipment and training required to perform his duties safely.
He further argued that the ministry’s failure to ensure that electrical wires were not left hanging in the ground contributed to the incident, which resulted in his injuries.
Senior medical officer Glennson Haihambo of Nankudu District Hospital treated Hausiku after the incident, noting that Hausiku had climbed on a Namcor tanker delivering diesel to the hospital’s generator.
Hausiku reportedly hit his head on overhead electric wires, resulting in the shock.
After receiving acute care at Rundu Intermediate Hospital, he spent two months recovering.
Haihambo denied any medical negligence, stating that the electric wires were above the ground and that Hausiku’s injuries resulted from him hitting the wires.
The court has since issued an order confirming the settlement, and the case has been removed from the court roll.
