Zomba Central Hospital seeks proper generator

The National Organisation of Nurses and Midwives (Nonm) has written the Ministry of Health to urgently provide an appropriate generator to Zomba Central Hospital to avert losses of life resulting from power outages.

 

 

Nonm president Jonathan Abraham Gama said in the letter on Wednesday that the biggest health facility in the Eastern Region is using a 5KVA electrical generator which, he says, is inadequate to supply power.

 

“The required generator for this referral hospital is a 400KVA, but it got damaged in October 2011.

 

“In an effort to help patients, the hospital bought a small generator of 5KVA which is supplying electricity in times of blackout to one out of three operating theatre rooms, the nursery ward, and intensive care unit ward,” reads the letter.

 

Gama said the generator cannot effectively operate life-supporting equipment at the hospital in emergencies.

 

“The hospital wanted to buy a 80KVA generator, which can supply power to the theatre, labour ward, nursery, children ward and ICU from CFAO, but due to lack of funds, it is failing to procure one,” he said.

 

Gama has appealed to government, donor community and well-wishers to help the hospital.

 

“From the above scenario, we can conclude beyond any doubt that Zomba Central Hospital has no electrical generator as a back-up in times of electricity blackout and lives are likely getting lost,” he said.

 

Ministry of Health public relations officer Henry Chimbali said the ministry has not yet received the letter, but said once officially noted, government will act.

 

“We have not received it [letter] but when it reaches our office, we will have to consider it whether we can manage it at central level or advise the hospital to identify and commit resources for the generator,” said Chimbali.

 

He said for other hospitals, procurement of efficient generators should be managed at the facility level and that hospital management are aware that such requests are for the district level.