Malawi Blood Transfusion Service fiires six nurses over lunch allowances: Blood sold to employees

Six nurses at the Malawi Blood Transfusion Service (MBTS) have been unfairly dismissed for protesting against the failure to provide them lunch allowances during blood collection clinics.

Mrs Harriet Chiomba.
Mrs Harriet Chiomba: Matter now in legal realm

Meanwhile, National Organization of Nurses and Midwives of Malawi (NONMM) has commenced  legal action against MBTS amid reports that the institution sells blood to its sick employees despite collecting it for free from good willing Malawians.

NONMM official Harriet Chiomba and legal counsel Mauya Msuku confirmed of the development.

“I have been given instructions to commence legal action against MBTS over the dismissal of the said nurses,” Msuku told Nyasa Times.

Chiomba while confirming the issue refused to divulge more details considering that it is now in legal realm.

MBTS Managing Director doctor Bridon M’baya referred the issue to the institution’s Public Relations Officer Allen Kaombe who, for days now, has failed to respond to Nyasa Times’ questionnaire despite several phone reminders.

Information in Nyasa Times possession reveals that MBTS defied NONMM- non-governmental and professional organization representing nurses and midwives- demands for a round-table discussion to resolve the allowance disputes.

For years drivers and nurses have been complaining of not being given lunch allowances despite working overtime and during weekends although MBTS gets funding from various donors including government for its blood collection and safety activities.

Our investigations found out that MBTS has became a centre of employees’ rights infringement, and two months ago nurses, after they failed to push for change, sought NONMM’s intervention. The institution has 16 nurses.

The nurses and other disgruntled employees have been seeking for lunch allowances of any amount but their concerns have been falling on deaf ears as the managing director and his team has been refusing to give in to their demands.

And weeks ago, few selected employees including the six nurses were summoned for disciplinary hearing where they were accused of insubordination.

“We were supposed to answer yes or no if we are accepting the charge of insubordination. We were not allowed to explain or ague. This is an institution we are being forced to pay for blood when we are sick and are in need of it,” revealed one of the concerned employees.

Aside from lunch allowances, employees have also been complained of the treatment by management as some of sick employees in need of blood are forced to pay for it despite the institution collecting it for free.

“It’s hard to train more nurses to perform a phlebotomy and management seems not to care and never mind of motivating late alone maintain its staff. This is the very same reason the institution is failing to keep regular blood donors,” added another affected employee.

MBTS is one of the richest NGOs in Malawi which receives huge funding of about K3 billion from different organizations in the world including money they get from selling blood to both private and public hospitals.

The organization gets funding from Malawi government, MM Africa, Global fund, Centre for Disease control (CDC), USAID Including other partners like PACHI, FMB and Southern Bottlers among others.

It also generates funds from selling blood to private and public hospitals at between K24,000 and K62,000 per pint. Despite that blood is given for free in public hospitals, government pays for it.

The failure to provide conducive work environment has been attributed as one of the factors failing the institution from meeting its blood demands of 80,000 units.

Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :

Sharing is caring!

Follow us in Twitter
10 Comments
newest
oldest most voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Chibweya joe
Chibweya joe
7 years ago

Did I hear you right? You mean these people should bring lunches from their homes. Mind you these blood collecting clinics are done outside their work stations. This gives them the right to claim lunch allowance. Kodi kapena ndinu a vendor za pantchito simuzidziwa? Bwanjikuombera amfiti mmanja?

Banda
Banda
7 years ago

The organisation must travel to many locations to collect free blood then travel back to their lab and test that blood

Then have the blood shipped to individual clinics and hospitals

Should they not recoup some of their donated money spent to assist hospitals, who could collect blood themselves.

What is important is this organization tests the blood for HIV,

What is wrong with bringing a lunch to work.
This mentality that all should be provided because I am poor has to stop. Donors are getting fed up with such entitlements

opportunist
opportunist
7 years ago

These developments will have negative effects on their core agenda and later they will start complaining that people are not donating blood.The end user which is a patient will pay a blunt.

be humane
be humane
7 years ago

Aaaaah so my 20 donations were sold when i gave out free hoping to help innocent patients? I have stopped and i will be available for free to individuals who need blood they should be approaching me for free. No charge because God gave it to me for free. I give blood once every three months. If anyone needs blood (O+ve) this November in Lilongwe please call me or send me a message between today and next week friday on +27631794686. Ndakwiya zedi you mean you sell that blood which we gave out for free to help women in labour,… Read more »

wakwiya
7 years ago

I am shocked and sad to hear this. But I am not surprised. Malawians bosses are the ones who are very evil and thieves. They are the ones to be fired. It has become common in Malawi corrupted nation that bosses fire lower employees when they find themselves in a situation to be reviewed of their wrong doings. They do this because bosses defend each other and no one listen to someone under them. If there were strong UNion who could speak for weaker and good judicial system Malawi as a nation could be a better nation for all to… Read more »

Malawian
Malawian
7 years ago

I need a very good explanation why Blood is sold despite some of us donating freely. I was even angered at KCH when I lost my in-law due to low levels of blood despite himself was an active donor

chidyamakanda
chidyamakanda
7 years ago
Reply to  Malawian

Go ask the MBTS themselves they will answer you. Nanga apa ukuona ngati explanation yo akupatsa ndani? The lying nyasatimes? Me I will never stop donating blood because I donate it for patients to use and what I know is that MBTS blood is given to patients all over the country

peter
7 years ago
Reply to  Malawian

one can collect gold free from the mine but gold rings are not freely given

mob justice
mob justice
7 years ago

M’baya, nsamala ndi mkamanga should go! They are making mbts to rot! Akuba ndalama za mbts nkumasunga ma nurse ndi njala. Welesike anapita!

Ronnie Mvula
7 years ago

This is bad indeed. How do black Managers inflict pain on fellow blacks? Do these Managers think the world of work belong to them? It is very bad for MBTS to sell blood they get for free from Malawians. If this is the case; we should also be getting some money for our blood we donate to them because they seem to be doing business with our free blood to them; otherwise MBTS reputation and blood collecting efforts will from now be hampered by these reports of them selling blood.

Read previous post:
Malawi urban music festival: 3 days of thrill, Mayor Chalamanda to grace event

It is finally here. The much awaited 2016 UMP Festival rolls into motion on Friday night 4th November, with a DJ Showdown at...

Close