Eight months after i t s independent task force made recommendations in an investigative report, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (Kuhes) is yet to discipline its staff members implicated in bullying of students.
The report which The Nation has seen shows that the independent task force established that students experience verbal bullying, in particular those from various departments under the institutions Faculty of Medicine.
The independent task force, chaired by Dr. Dorothy Namate, was instituted in February 2024 following a Platform for Investigative Journalism (PIJ) story which alleged that students were being bullied while some had their results manipulated, leading to their systematic withdrawal on academic grounds.
In its report submitted to Kuhes Council on May 4 2024, the task force ascertained that there was bullying.
On the other hand, a separate National Council for Higher Education (Nche) report in the same month only established the systematic withdrawal of students and how a review of the bachelor of burgery, bachelor of medicine (MBBS) programme adversely affected them.
Nche recommended to the university to investigate the bullying.
According to the Kuhes independent task force report, the bullying at the time did not spare the staff themselves as some also reported having been verbally abused by their colleagues.
The task force established that there was substantive evidence of bullying orchestrated by the marked staff members and that their actions contravenes Kuhes’ procedures and guidelines as well as the Medical Council of Malawi code of ethics and professional conduct.
Currently, Kuhes Council does not have a chairperson following the appointment of Professor Francis Moto as Catholic University of Malawi Vice- Chancellor.
When asked how he handled the report when he chaired the Kuhes Council, Moto yesterday declined to comment.
On whether President Lazarus Chakwera, in his capacity as Chancellor of Kuhes, is aware of the report and its recommendations, presidential press secretary Anthony Kasunda said he needed to check.
Multiple sources within Kuhes confided in The Nation that despite recommendations made in the leaked report, the key perpetrators remain scot-free.
Kuhes Vice-Chancellor Professor Mac Mallewa yesterday did not respond to our questionnaire despite an indication that it was read. Our calls could not go through.
The report detailed how the key perpetrators used foul language towards students in the presence of patients and further that the lecturers used the “F” word in some instances.
