Power outage leaves patients helpless
Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (QECH) in Blantyre has suspended some of the surgical operations in its ear, nose and throat (ENT) wards leaving some patients stranded due to an electrical fault.
During a visit to the ENT ward opposite Mercy James Centre for Paediatric Surgery and Intensive Care on Tuesday afternoon, some patients and guardians were seen desperately waiting for surgical operations as health personnel kept on shifting dates due to the uncertainty regarding when the power outage would be resolved.

Some patients referred to the hospital were seen returning to their respective homes without undergoing the much needed surgical operation.
Others with no transport money to return home, were forced to remain at the hospital waiting for the fault to be fixed.
In an interview, Mariam Ernest from Mkuchila Village, Traditional Authority (T/A) Mponda in Mangochi said she has been waiting for close to two weeks.
She said: “I was supposed to go for a surgical operation for my neck, but doctors keep on changing my appointment dates because there is no electricity.
“To make matters worse, we are literally sleeping in the dark, putting our lives at risk of being infected with malaria as there are a lot of mosquitos particularly during dark hours. But we cannot go home until we receive treatment.”
Another patient, Margaret Kausiwa from Phalombe expressed worry with the operations delays saying the pain is becoming intense day by day.
Unlike Ernest and Kausiwa, who were forced to remain at the facility until the fault is fixed, Agness Kalele from Namadidi, T/A Mlumbe in Zomba and was referred from Zomba Central Hospital had no option, but to return home with her patient on Tuesday.
When contacted on Tuesday, the facility’s principal hospital administrator Alexander Munthali referred The Nation to the hospital’s controller of administration services Sipho Nyasulu.
But Nyasulu and hospital director Kelvin Mponda could not be reached on several attempts.
Commenting on the matter, health rights activist George Jobe said authorities must treat the electricity fault at QECH as a matter of urgency to prevent avoidable deaths or disability.