Transport shortage paralyses MoH
The Ministry of Health (MoH) says apart from drug shortage, the sector also faces transport problems in transporting patients and members of staff in public hospitals.
Deputy director of clinical services in the ministry, Dr Titha Dzowela, made the revelation at Riders to a Healthier Malawi meeting with various stakeholders in the health sector in Lilongwe yesterday.
“In developed countries such as the USA, one ambulance serves 7 000 people or less. But because of poverty, Malawi puts one ambulance to cater for 50 000, a ratio which we even fail to meet because at the moment, one ambulance carters for 78 000 people,” said Dzowela.
He said transport issues have been a challenge for a long time in the ministry.
Dzowela said currently there are only 180 ambulances out of the 603 vehicles deployed countrywide, some of which in need of maintenance.
“Inadequate transport for staff, including specialists whose support is regularly needed at the hospitals is also a big concern,” said Dzowela.
Riders Malawi country director Mphatso Kachule said partnership with stakeholders will help solve the transport woes in the health sector.
Kachule said: “This is not an ideal situation. Riders Malawi is interested since our focus is to ensure that people are supplied with the health services that they need. We will engage with other stakeholders to support the Ministry of Health accordingly.”
The meeting also included a panel discussion on transport matters led by officials from Cargo Management Logistics, John Snow Inc. (JSI) and Medecins Sans Frontieres.
