Health activist faults systems, lenient punishment on thefts

A renowned health expert has faulted poor and disconnected systems in the ministry of Health coupled with lenient sentences meted to those who steal money and drugs from the ministry as reasons for the endless rampant theft.

Ngoma: Employ nurses
Ngoma: Weak systems

For the last two months, the ministry has been swindled K2 billion meant for the fight against HIV and AIDs which was funded by the US and a few months ago, billions of money which were meant for disease control were also stolen.

Dorothy Ngoma, a health activist and president of the National Organisation of Nurses and Midwives said the rampant theft of money in government and at the ministry of Health in particular is a clear indication that there are weak accounting systems in government.

“This also shows that Malawians do not like their country. Professionals continue doing unprofessionalism. The people who are stealing are the ones who are supposed to protect the lives of people,” she said.

She said recent sentences for those who steal money or drugs in hospitals show they were not detrimental enough and called for stiffer punishments to deter would be offenders.

Ngoma also said the ministry of Health should have powers to hire and fire, saying the current bureaucratic system leaves culprits free as it takes time for the Office of the President and Cabinet to sanction arrests or prosecution.

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apm
apm
7 years ago

Akumaba mankhwala amakhala well linked to the medical stores officials, ministry of health head kotaz, and to the DHO. Makobili amagawana. So it becomes difficult chifukwa amapangana protect wina akagwidwa. Take examples in neno, what happened atagwidwa ataba mankhwala umo tinanvera pa zodiac, wat about in chiradzulo, even blantyre n zomba. Its the same song over n over again. Unless something different happens, we will continue crying as malawians. Dzuka malawi dzuka.

Issa Kabudula
Issa Kabudula
7 years ago

We the lack the following; 1. Patriotism 2.Hard working and 3. Love Until such time we will value what we have and assist or support our governments of the day and word extra hard in service delivery, then only we will see developed Malawi nation, other than that we will see mob justices and killing. Its high time to see Malawians doing the opposite, lazy, crime, robbery and remorseless people who can kill and burn people in the name of poverty and what have you. This is sending fear message to many especially the Diaspora who think their R100/$100 can… Read more »

Tikondane
Tikondane
7 years ago

The truth is that drugs are stolen by health people themselves. No body knows how drugs find their way to various hospitals. Choyamba, anthu achipatalanu mukumagawana mankhwala aboma. Mankhwalawa alim’manyumba anu. Akuba ndiena komanso ongusunga mulinaonso. Anthunu ndinu ambiri ndiye nonsenu mukatengapo mankhwalawo, atsala kodi? Mundiyankhe! Boma likumagula mankhwala koma mukuba ndinu amene. Inu nomwe mulintimafamase ting’onoting’ono m’manyumbamu. Anthu akufa mzipatalamu inu mankhwala mutasunga!

kas
kas
7 years ago

AT RUMPHI DISTRICT HOSPITAL ABOVE 8 MILLION KWACHA HAS BEEN STOLEN, BUT NOTHING TANGIBLE Z BEING DONE. CASH GATE WILL NEVER END BECAUSE ALOT OF MALAWIANS ARE GREEDY PEOPLE…

William Mapaipi
William Mapaipi
7 years ago

It is quite clear that we are living in the past. Our MPs have forgoten their rightful roles of making laws. Look! We are seing our sons and daughters dying, trees being cut savagely, wholesale theft etc etc. Sometimes it is very unfair to blame the president that he is not doing the needful when his hands are chained like anybody else because of archaic laws. I agree with Ngoma that our professionals are also involved in theft. A colleague who works at one of the referal hospitals told that his boss asked him to rush to his private clinic… Read more »

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