Malawi nurses threaten strike action: Demand govt to re-employ health care workers

Malawi nurses have warned they will take industrial action government to rescind its decision to allow over 300 new cadres of nurses and doctors to start practicing to save lives in hospitals of the country.

Ngoma addressing a news conference
Ngoma addressing a news conference
Nurses concerns
Nurses concerns

government has withdrawn the redeployment list and offer letters of employment to newly recruited nurse midwives, technicians and nursing officers due to lack of funds needed for government to sustain them.

In a letter dated September 10 2015 copied to all directors’ of central hospitals, district health officers (DHOs) and the executive secretary of Health Service Commission, Ministry of Health (MoH) Principal Secretary Mr MacPhail Magwira said government will confirm at a later date about the affected personnel’s contracts.

National Organisation for Nurses and Midwives (Nonm) executive director Ms Harriet Kapyepye said the decision threatens to further cripple the health service delivery in hospitals.

Speaking at a news conference in Lilongwe on Wednesday, Human Resource for Health Coalition (HRHC) president Dorothy Ngoma said that government should reverse the decision at the same time review its commitments it made in improving the lives of its people because there cannot be meaningful growth if citizens are spending hours in hospitals due to shortage of staff.

“The acts by our government can lead to brain drain as our health care workers are demotivated ending up in private hospitals sector or leaving the country,” she observed.

Malawi’s nurse to patient ratio stands at one to 3 000 compared to one to 1 000 recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO) which Ngoma said was “shocking.”

“The government ought to pay the new recruits. It has made a grave misstate. This is inappropriate,” said Ngoma.

“Government is putting Malawian citizens at risk.”

Ngoma warned of national strike of nurses if government refuses to buldge.

“If government decice they don’t have money, for whatever reasons, we are going to court. We give them 21 days to reverse it or we declare a strike,” said bold Ngoma, a health activist of high repute.

Malawi Congress for Trade Union (MCTU) General Secretary, Pontius Kalichero, said the act by government to withdraw offer letters from health care workers is a violation of labour practices of the country.

“We urge government to call them back and save lives of people most of whom live in rural areas,” he said.

He vowed that the Union will never relent but fight on until the newly recruited health care workers are back to their stations of duty.

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Mlomwe
Mlomwe
8 years ago

Malume amenewa atienjeza bwanji?ine kuyambira utsogoleri wa Kamuzu mpakana wa JB sindinamvepo umve ngati umenewu.Alomwe mesa mumati iye ndi Professor?Lero ndiye wakusambwazani ndipo simunathe.Alomwe opanda nzeru anthu onukha inu.Dziko lakukanikani kulamulira

benjnes
8 years ago

dear nurses we are all ready to support you. just tell us when you intend to go on strike we the employees will not come to work for one we starting from 15th october 2015 so that we dont pay P.A.Y.E. to the corrupt government. this massage is goes to all working class people let us hold hands and take the government to task

Namihavani
Namihavani
8 years ago

NONM kupumuluma by the way who is going to particiapte in this strike the govt says it sorting out issues inuyo a NONM you think contrary. Its high this junior docs and nurses should be applyining than being deployed directly thats why they are very rude ku field kukana ma postings and the like

Mwendanato
Mwendanato
8 years ago

can DM OR KAPYEPYE ANSWER ME OR WINA ALIYENSE WODZIWA ZA ANAMWINO, ETI KU MALAWI KUNO TILI NDI MA ONH KAPENA KUTI SUKULU YOMWE IMAPHUNZITSA NURSE HYGIENIST KAPENA OCCPATIONAL HEALTH NURSE NDIPO TILINAWO MBWEMBWEMBWE

jah
jah
8 years ago

i am sure gov has never said no to nurses ever since but currently the coffers are dry. if i may ask silly leaders of nurses council, who is your fucken biggest employer? you mean you have the audacity to force an employer who has no money. even yourself dorofe ngoma some of your relations are poor and your failing to assist them. advise your pple to go where there is money period! dont use them to achieve your agenda

John K Black
8 years ago

The nurses are threatening two actions: going to court and industrial action. They should go to court immediately: esseentially all these nurses have been fired after they already received letters of employment. This is a violation of the labour law. Also the right to life of patients is needlessly violated, this is a constitutional right. I am sure a good lawyer can find more violations of the working conditions of nurses who are employed now and who are needlessly put in a situation of being overworked as the number of nurses is 1/3 (!) of what it should be. Industrial… Read more »

Patricia Kaliati
Patricia Kaliati
8 years ago

INE NDAKHALA NDIKUSUTSANA nawo abwana athu koma mutu wa Peter Mthalika ndiwowuma wasiyana ndiwa Bingu taganizani iye akufuna kuchotsa maphunziro pamene mwana wake sanaphunzire mu Malawi

Malunga
Malunga
8 years ago

We live in a capitalist world ladies and gentlemen. The people at the top will never be affected coz they are not treated or looked after by newly qualifies under experienced nurses and doctors. A free Health-care system in poor countries without resources has always failed, the model of health care is long overhead and has reached its breaking point. The only reason it looked sustainable is because most of it was donor funded… Malawians please grow up, the honeymoon is finally over.

chefourpence
8 years ago

will the strike create money? Foolish!

Boji
Boji
8 years ago

Government is saving money, now education is almost privatised with exorbitant fees,. Health is the next. Money is available for foreign trips.

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