Malawi govt rejects Atupele’s K3m donation to referral hospitals
Malawi government has rejected a donation of K3 million by United Democratic Front (UDF) presidential candidate Atupele Austin Muluzi for the purchase of drugs in the country’s three referral hospitals, Ministry of Health spokesman confirmed on Thirsday.
Atupele, the youngest of the 12 presidential candidates in the May 20 tripartite elections, made a donation of K1 million each to the country’s three major referral hospitals-Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Kamuzu Central Hospital and Mzuzu Central Hospital- to enable the health facilities procure essential medicines and other supplies.
But government advised the administrators of the referral hospitals not to receive the donations.
Ministry of Health Spokesperson Henry Chimbali confirmed the development, argued that the timing of the donation was bad as it is campaign period and that Chimbali also claimed that politicians are not allowed to make such donations to referral hospitals.
Commenting on the development one social and economic commentator Henry Kachaje of Business Consult Africa questioned the behaviour of the government officials who are refusing donation from Atupele but they are busy receiving and opening donations and projects that are being done by President Joyce Banda who is also a politician and one of the candidates in the May 20 elections.
This is not the first time for Malawi government to refuse donation after they did the same with Democratic Progressive Party president Professor Peter Muntharika who wanted to donate bags of maize and
medical drugs to Maula prison.
