Malawi Govt cautions KCH staff

Ministry of Health has cautioned medical staff at Kamuzu Central Hospital (KCH) against making abrupt calls for the ministry to transfer staff from the hospital for alleged misconduct.

The ministry’s spokesperson Henry Chimbali on Tuesday said workers who are removed from health facilities after strikes face stigma wherever they are posted because of the nature of their transfers.

On Monday, some KCH staff sealed offices of five senior staff at the hospital they wanted transferred for alleged abuse of resources and deteriorating working relations among members of staff.

The staff petitioned Vice-President and Minister of Health Khumbo Kachali to transfer chief hospital administrator Thom Chisale, principal hospital administrator Margaret Kalanda, human resources officer Victoria Msiska and two accountants—Dalitso Nthala and Benelita Lusuwa.

 Government has since posted Chisale and Kalanda to Mzuzu Central and Dowa District hospitals, respectively whereas Msiska, Nthala and Lusuwa were on Tuesday summoned to Capital Hill for discussion and possible transfers, according to Chimbali.

 “We have told the staff at the hospital that this should be the last call for them to ask that some staff should be removed from the facility.

 “The people who are removed like this are attached with stigma. This is not the right way to deal with problems involving some staff and whatever allegations they have against them.

“We have invited the remaining three staff to the ministry to discuss with them several things. They may not report back to KCH,” said Chimbali.

He also said police arrested three KCH staff on Monday mainly for questioning over the strike.

KCH deputy director Davis Mtotha said the strike did not affect operations at the hospital as he said it was a small group of staff that participated in the protest.

 “Everything is going on as usual. We do not expect any more troubles because the ministry has told us that the other three staff may not report back to KCH.

 “This means all the people the staff wanted transferred have gone and there is no reason they should cause further problems,” said Mtotha.

Chisale, Msiska and the other accused staff denied the allegations against them, saying were not involved in any mismanagement of KCH resources or cases of spoiling working relations at the hospital.

Recently, there have been similar cases of medical workers’ grievances against their management at Nsanje District and Zomba Central hospitals.

 

 

Feedback

On poor leadership

I would like to agree with the comments made by Professor Matthews Chikaonda and those made by others. Indeed, in Malawi, we lack leaders who can propel this country forward. Plans that can develop the country are already there and any leader worth their name can capitalise on them.

The late Bingu wa Mutharika, who was at one time Minister of Economic Planning and Development implemented plans which were gathering dust at the ministry; hence, he was applauded for developing the country. Our leaders should not focus on campaigns, but on developing the country. CZ/ via e-mail

 

 

 

 

Chikaonda is right

Right from the beginning when human beings were not more than two-digit figures, a negative force was militating against the development of Homo sapiens. 

The militant who has either being slowing down or stopping the growth of nations today is ‘poor leadership.’ If there is a spark of leadership at all, it must lie in the ability to assemble a clearly articulated vision that is simple, easily understood, clearly desirable and energising. Any leadership that lacks these abilities is bad and unprogressive.

The country’s leadership should be truly committed to the people and its administration.

If education is to be conceived along the lines of a mere transmission of knowledge, there is a little to be hoped from it in chalking the nation’s future. What is the use of transmitting knowledge if the nation lags behind in development? Education has produced a vast population able to read, but unable to distinguish what is worth reading.

A very large part of middle-class education is supposed to be devoted to training people by instilling confidence in them to supervise and direct the lower-class. The education system has largely failed to adapt to the fact that the prosperity of a nation has always being dependent on the economy.

If we continue to cite the havoc poor leadership has caused without suggesting and implementing solutions, then we are making another big mistake. The leadership of the nation will not achieve anything if mediocre people are appointed into political offices. Leaders who will not encourage personal glorification are needed. People who will not be driven by corruption and who will set examples in honest and decent behaviour; who will step down voluntarily when their time is up or when it becomes evident that they are no longer needed are those that can lead Malawi to its promise land.

HB/ Via e-mail