Coalition lobbies support for quality health care in Malawi

The Human Resources for Health (HRH) Coalition has urged the private sector entities and members of the Employers Consultative Association of Malawi (Ecama) to consider adopting health facilities and major referral hospitals to improve and ensure provision of quality health services in the country.

Speaking during an interface meeting with civil societies and employers, under the Employers Consultative Association of Malawi (Ecama), HRH Chairperson Dorothy Ngoma said it was high time private companies started mobilizing resources for public health facilities to ensure effective and efficient health care delivery.

She said this would help mitigate the human as well as non-human resources challenges in health services delivery.

“We cannot talk of quality health care when we don’t have enough skilled human resources. There are few  clinicians and we don’t have enough medical equipment and other vital resources for health workers to ably execute their expected duties.

“We cannot talk of sustainable service delivery when health facilities are struggling with huge water and electricity bills and other recurrent bills. Health facilities are being underfunded amid drug shortages; so how we have efficient health care delivery?” lamented Ngoma.

She therefore urged companies to development a spirit of sharing their profits with communities by providing the health facilities at their disposal or catchment area with resources.

“For instance, cooking oil producers should just make a commitment to be providing or donating cooking oil to any health facility every month.

“Likewise those in welding and fabrication, should consider fixing all broken beds in various hospitals across the country. Maize flour producer can be doing the same. Remember, this country is ours and the people that are suffering and needing medical attention in hospitals are our sisters and brothers.

“There are heaps of broken beds and shortage of food stuffs in our hospitals and this why patients sleep on the floor and are just, at times, given porridge without sugar and salt.

“If you don’t come forward to support us we will continue complaining of poor health care services and inadequate skilled health workers,” said Ngoma.

Ecam Executive Director Beyani Munthali said their Association will support and work hand in hand with the Human Resources for Health Coalition lobbying for efficient and effective private sector engagement.

Munthali further said Ecam strongly believes and supports national health systems to leverage resources, health professionals, and infrastructure from both the public and private sectors in order to meet the health rated MDGs (goals 4, 5 and 6) as well as to meet the Malawi Decent Work Country Programme (MDWCP) 2011-2016

“As a representative of the Employers in Malawi, Ecam understands that Malawi cannot talk of improved productivity, nor can it talk of sustainable development without talking of improved health services delivery.

“It is in this regard that Ecam holds with highest reverence the Health and welfare of the employees from all sectors of the economy,” said Munthali.

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