Fed up with challenges frustrating service delivery, some employees of Nkhotakota District Hospital yesterday petitioned the district commissioner (DC) to intervene and address the problems at the facility.
In their petition, they mentioned transport woes, persistent water supply challenges as well as alleged flawed procurement processes as key issues to be addressed.
In an interview after presenting the petition, the group’s representative, Francis Kamphapa, said the situation at the hospital, which serves a population of about 400 000, is bad. He said in-patients are having one meal per day.
“We are not against anybody at the hospital, but we want management to resolve these problems. How can a hospital operate with only one ambulance? How can a hospital work without water? These are some of the problems we want to be addressed.”
The staff also asked the DC to act on the demands with urgency, warning of unspecified action if the council fails to address the issues in two weeks.
Receiving the petition on behalf of the DC, district education manager Greystone Alindiamao pleaded with the protesting workers to follow procedures when channelling their grievances.
Last December, The Nation reported that the hospital was rationing water after the Central Region Water Board replaced the facility’s post-paid meter with a pre-paid billing one due to outstanding bills.
