Nurses and doctors attending NGOs workshops more than patients
Government Thursday expressed worries over the absence of nurses and doctors in hospital as they are out attending workshops organized by Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs).
Speaking during a National Advocacy Meeting by Development Communications Trust (DCT) and Centre for Human Rights Rehabilitation (CHRR) with assistance from OXFAM in Lilongwe, Head of Quality Management Unit Dr Andrew Likaka said poor turn up of health workers in hospitals made client complain of poor service delivery.
“NGOs are busy training health workers and on a day you can find out that more than 200 health workers are out of their duties attending workshops organized by NGOs,” He said.
Likaka explained that health workers have been trained enough and there is a need for them to start implementing what they have been trained other than continues with the trainings and the service delivery remains the same.
He said 80 per cent of the money allocated to health sector is given to NGOs as donors pulled out their assistance from government following the infamous gash gate scandal, adding that Ministry of Health (MoH) only manages 20 per cent government funding.
He assured participants that they should continue presenting their complaints and they would be assisted.
Ombudsman, Martha Mwangonde said despite participants at the meeting raising complaints on poor health service delivery, her office has never received any complaint from the public.
“We do not have a sample from health to investigate, Malawians do not complain to the right authorities, but what they do is just to write on social media explaining the problems they meet when they go to seek medical attention. This cannot take as any where since action cannot be taken,” she added.
Mwangonde pointed out thta once a client has been ill-treated by a health worker and later got the treatment then discharged they forget all that and they do not feel the need to raise their concerns.
Mwangonde urged the public to be presenting their complaints to the right authorities to be assisted.
insults to those never attended workshops especialy nurses in CHAM hospitals…Some graduated long time ago 5 yrs but never attended a workshop…i think complaint refers to Government staff
Mwangonde is misguided. Thousands of complaints are channelled to the right office and thank God the public is aware. The right Office is the regulatory bodies. Medical Council and Nurses Council each year processes lots of complaints. Health Care workers have been disciplined ny these bodies time amd again including revoking of practising licenses.