Medical Council of Malawi (MCM) has suspended two medical practitioners for one year as well as fined and warned others for various offences including professional misconduct.
Those suspended are Webster Chinkhandwe, a clinical officer at Bwaila Hospital and Symon Kizito Ntholo, laboratory technician at the African Bible College (ABC) Clinic both in Lilongwe.
The suspensions, fines and warnings follow the council’s determinations on 12 disciplinary cases where the findings have practice implications.
The council has published results of the disciplinary proceedings in line with its mandate as stipulated under Section 53(1)(a) and (b) of Medical Practitioners and Dentist Act.
“Out of the 12 cases heard, five were from public facilities, one did not involve any heath facility while six were from private health facilities. Four cases involved medical practitioners, six involved clinical officers and one concerned a laboratory technician. Six cases registered a guilty verdict, five a not guilty verdict and one was referred,” reads the public notice.
MCM registrar and chief executive officer Dr. Davie Zolowere said in the public notice that Chinkhandwe was suspended after being found guilty of conducting a Caesarian section under the influence of alcohol as well as perforating the bowel during the procedure.
In the case of Ntholo, the council suspended him for fabricating Covid-19 test results and destroying a laboratory.
Besides the suspension, MCM has also recommended to the Ministry of Health, as Chinkhandwe’s employer, to further discipline him for working under the influence of alcohol, which is against the Malawi Public Service Regulations (MPSR).
Further, the council has proposed that the officer should undergo an assessment of fitness to practice with a focus on alcohol dependency before resuming duties.
As regards Ntholo, he has also been ordered to pay part of the investigation costs incurred by the council.
MCM has also issued a warning to the office of Kamuzu Central Hospital (KCH) director for failing to implement the World Health Organisation (WHO) surgical safety checklist and provide adequate staff to support the surgery.
Another warning letter has been issued to Joseph K. Gama, a clinical officer at KCH for failing to use WHO surgical safety checklist as a leading surgeon and failing to ensure that the gauze used was counted before closing the abdomen and cause gossypiboma.
Gossypiboma is a medical term denoting a mass of cotton material inadvertently left in the body after a surgical operation.
The council has also fined a clinical officer Semu Banda for illegally opening and operating Matemba Private Clinic.
According to MCM, Banda’s clinic was not adhering to infection prevention and control procedures.
The council has also erased Dr. Precious Makiyi from the internship register. He was found guilty of conducting unlicensed prescribing of medication, improper diagnosis and inadequate patient care.
Reacting to the development, health rights activist Maziko Matemba appreciated the council’s role in ensuring safety of patients when receiving medical care.
He said: “The council has the mandate to ensure patients’ safety by monitoring the behaviour of medical practitioners and these determinations should be a wake-up call to all health workers in doing the best in delivering quality health services.”
