Public institutions under siege

Recent trends in the country show that attacks of public institutions such as health facilities, police formations and other government properties are on the rise by communities venting anger over wide ranging issues.

The latest incident happened on Monday in Lilongwe where some residents stormed Area 25 Health Centre and vandalised the facility’s cholera treatment unit following the death of a cholera patient.

One of the nurses who witnessed the incident, but asked for anonymity for fear of reprisals, told The Nation that the patient was pronounced dead on arrival and the clinician on duty advised the bereaved family to return home to allow healthcare workers handle the process in line with cholera death management procedure.

The nurse said while the hospital’s management was about to take the dead body to the village for burial, a group of people invaded the facility and bayed for the blood of the clinician who was managing the body.

Two weeks ago, angry community members from Nandumbo in Traditional Authority Kalembo in Balaka District also vandalised a cholera treatment unit and injured a healthcare worker at Nandumbo Health Centre.

The mob also discharged all 20 cholera patients at the facility.

In the past two years, other facilities such as Rumphi District Hospital have also been vandalised in similar fashion.

A pre-print study by Kamuzu University of Health Sciences on violence towards healthcare workers shows that violence increased during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic and afterwards.

Titled ‘Prevalence, forms, risk factors and impact of violence towards healthcare workers during the Covid-19 pandemic in Malawi’, the study states that violence against healthcare workers was especially pronounced during Covid-19 pandemic.

“The levels of violence were higher than pre-pandemic levels in the country and higher than levels in other countries during the same period,” reads part of the study led by Dr. Wongani Nyangulu.

Besides attacks on health facilities and healthcare workers, police formations, schools and district agriculture offices have also fallen prey to mob attacks.

In an interview yesterday, National Police deputy spokesperson Harry Namwaza said more than 10 police formations were vandalised last year alone.

Mzuzu University security studies expert Aubrey Kabisala said there is need for improved public relations between communities and public institutions.

He sa id: “ In security institutions like police, there have been attempts to strengthen the relations through community policing structures, but these are not available in case of hospitals and health centres, apart from the hospital ombudsman.

“In schools, there are school committees that can handle relation issues, but more needs to be done.”

Kabisala said since vandalism in itself is a criminal case, communities must be sensitised about its consequences.

Minister of Information Moses Kunkuyu in an interview yesterday agreed that there is need to enhance the flow of information between government and all its stakeholders, including community members on importance of public institutions.

“This calls for massive civic education on where aggrieved community members can lodge their complaints instead of destroying government facilities,” he said.

On the other hand, National Organisation of Nurses and Midwives of Malawi has asked government to institute an inquiry into the Area 25 Health Centre fracas and bring to book all the perpetrators of this vice.

“This barbaric behaviour is retrogressive and a barrier to the provision of quality healthcare services.

“This behaviour is further causing the health workers to live in utmost fear and anxiety, resulting in mental distress,” the organisation said in a statement released yesterday.

Meanwhile, Central-West Region Police spokesperson Alfred Chimthere said three people have been arrested in connection with the Area 25 Health Centre fracas.