Minister blasts officials for shunning rural health workers
Minister of Health Catherine Gotani-Hara has reprimanded Ministry of Health authorities for denying skilled health workers in remote areas promotions in preference for their cronies in urban areas.
Hara put up an impassioned call for the health workforce in hard-to-reach areas – where need for medical services remains high – when she graced the commemoration of the International Health Day of the Midwife in Nkhata Bay on Monday.
As part of the ceremony, Nkhata Bay district health officer Albert Mkandawire named midwife-nurse technician Briston Nkhoma of Chitheka Health Centre as the best midwife in the district.
According to Mkandawire, Nkhoma is the only nurse-cum-midwife at the health facility where he sees nearly 150 patients every day together with a clinical officer.
In her speech, Hara turned to Principal Secretary Chris Kang’ombe, urging him to “promote these unsung heroes in rural areas”.
“Is it not very sad that you technocrats tend to sideline the hard workers in remote areas and focus on your friends in town? Should we really be promoting people because they are close to the PS [Principal Secretary], zonal managers or district health officer?” asked Hara.
Association of Malawian Midwives vice-president Christina Mbezi said most of the deaths that occur during pregnancy and childbirth could be avoided if the country trained enough midwives and nurses.
“The situation is worse in rural health centres which tend to have one midwife doing almost everything. This means they work nonstop, day and night,” said Mbezi.
