Nurses strike over poor working conditions

Barely a week after presenting their petition to Karonga District Council, healthcare workers under Karonga District Hospital yesterday started boycotting work to force both the council and government to address their grievances.

During a visit to the district hospital yesterday morning, the main gate was closed and cars carrying patients were not allowed to go through. Also visible were placards pasted on the gate, notifying the public that there was no entry.

In their petition, the nurses complained about alleged abuse of office by some senior staff members at the hospital, erratic payment of locum and upkeep allowances and failure to rehabilitate the theatre as well as lack of personal protective equipment.

The petition was delivered to district commissioner Rodrick Mateauma and gave the council up to August 22 2023 to address the concerns.

Mateauma then pledged to bring the district hospital management team (DHMT) to a roundtable to find an amicable solution.

In an interview yesterday, the disgruntled workers’ spokesperson Dunstan Phiri said their sit-in came after noticing that the council was taking long to resolve their grievances.

“We have planned to strike for three days until the DHMT, which has failed us, is transferred, but if our concerns are not addressed within the three days, we will continue with the sit-in,” he said.

But Mateauma said his office met the disgruntled workers and DHMT and reached a consensus.

He said the council left the issue of transferring some senior hospital officials in the hands of the Ministry of Health as the mandate to transfer healthcare workers is beyond the council.

“At the council level, the issues were resolved and indeed a way forward was found. The same was communicated to the headquarters [Local Government Service Commission],” said Mateauma.