Patients allege lack of punctuality in Nkhata Bay

Out-patients at Nkhata Bay District Hospital have complained about lack of punctuality by staff when reporting for duties.

In an interview on Thursday, a patient, George Mhone, said he arrived at the health facility at 6 am, but the facility was opened at 10am.

“I made sure that I arrived at the hospital early so that I should be the first to be attended to at 7.30, but it was not opened until 10am,” he said.

Mhone said the hospital staff report late for duties and work for only two hours in the morning before leaving for lunch break.

In another interview, Tiyamike Mphande said some hospital staff work for a short time and leave patients waiting for their return.

When contacted, Nkhata Bay district health officer Mwatikonda Mbendera and the hospital’s spokesperson Christopher Singini said they were not aware of such malpractices at the hospital.

“The clients concerns are not true. I don’t know anything,” said Mbendera.

However, Singini apologised to the patients for the inconveniences.

He then advised users of the facility to present their concerns to the hospital’s management through the hospital ombudsman committee and client’s suggestion box.