Suspected health workersransack rural hospital

All 18 ransacked staff houses at Kochilira Rural Hospital in Mchinji District have fallen into ruins as in a war zone.

Iron sheets, window and door frames have been looted while brick walls of the houses stand strong among the towering green elephant grass that provides fodder to livestock from the surrounding villages.

That is not all. Natural trees that gave tranquil environment to patients and provided the panoramic view of the facility have been cut down.

Speaking in an interview on Monday, Mchinji District Health Office (DHO) spokesperson Owen Chataika confirmed the plunder, saying some suspected health workers were transferred, but none fired.

But health experts lament the government’s failure to curb the looting and take to task those behind it.

Sounding frustrated, Malawi Health Equity Network executive director George Jobe described the situation as pathetic.

He said the hospital is plagued by so many challenges; hence, the government’s decision to commemorate the Universal Health Coverage at the facility.

Jobe said: “Kochilira Rural Hospital challenges are well documented, but little is being done to restore it to its former glory.

“This facility was great. It is where leprosy patients were being treated. Today, it is a shadow of its former self and has been reduced to a health centre instead of a rural hospital we all wanted it to be.”

The facility is in dilapidated form with non-functional facilities, equipment, falling ceilings, loose electric wires, looted and abandoned staff houses.

Chataika expressed sadness with the situation.

“Some of the health officials we suspected to have benefitted from the loot were transferred,” he said.

Chataika admitted that some health workers allegedly built their houses in the periphery of the hospital using its iron sheets.

During a community meeting on February 2 2023 in the area, group village head Mtanga and some community leaders alleged that some health officials built houses with materials looted from the facility.

A well-placed source from the hospital, who opted for anonymity, confided in Nation on Sunday that some staff continue to ransack the facility as the DHO buries its head in the sand, pretending “that all is well”.

But Chaitaika insisted that the health workers who were suspected of wrongdoing were transferred.

“The person who built the house and those who were cutting trees for their own benefit were transferred.”

But when told that hospital trees were still being cut and houses looted, Chataika said: “Maybe they also want to benefit after seeing what their colleagues did.”

Asked why the DHO transfers instead of firing the culprits, he argued that they can only be fired if courts find them guilty.

“As a hospital, our hands are tied and the only thing we can do is to transfer them,” said Chataika, but could not explain why they did not report the matter to police.

He, however, attributed security lapses at the hospital to inadequate security personnel.

National Police spokesperson Peter Kalaya described the DHO’s reluctance to report the matter as frustrating.

“Some institutions are not keen to report criminal activities and you wonder what could be their motivation for shielding people seemingly committing crimes,” he said.

Kalaya urged the DHO to report the matter to police if it wants to curb looting at the hospital.

Kamuzu University of Health Sciences professor Adamson Muula expressed disappointment at the looting taking place at Kochilira.

“The district commissioner is not vindicated either because a staff member cannot be transferred without his knowledge,” he said.

Former University of South Africa development studies professor Edward Mikwamba described what is happening at the hospital as an indictment on President Lazarus Chakwera’s administration.

“How can his government allow such atrocities to be committed on their watch?” he queried.

Health activist Maziko Matemba urged the district council authorities to arrest the problem.

“The district commissioner and district health and social services officer should seriously look into this issue as it may undermine provision of health services in the area,” he said.

Mchinji District Council chairperson Denis Lazalo said he needs to find out the extent of the damage at the facility.

“At one point I was told the items had been removed from the houses for safe custody,” he said.