Non-functional elevator at Kamuzu Central Hospital deplorable – Newspaper

Ministry of Health and Population has been advised to always “give attention to detail” to ensure a situation where patients at Kamuzu Central Hospital (KCH) are having to endure additional pain following the breaking down of the elevator  does not arise.

Adaily newspaper, The Nation, reported that  patience are forced to move up and down the three-storey hospital’s staircase following the breaking down of the elevator this week.

KCH hospital director Jonathan Ngoma said the elevator is “very old” for effective functioning and  it has become difficult to have it repaired “so much that the supplier is struggling to provide us with its spare parts since there aren’t many buildings using such model of elevators anymore.”

In an editorial comment , the paper noted that  this is not the first time the KCH has been in the news for bad reasons.

“At one point, the mortuary was not functioning, creating a bad environment for hospital users,” it recalled.

It said the current situation, which is not pleasant, and the previous ones, should not be encourages to happen at one of the country’s main referral hospitals.

“We understand other hospitals nationwide have a myriad of challenges that affect their operations. This calls for government to get down to business and use the resources available to sort out the mess in the entire health sector,” reads the comment.

It said  “under normal circumstances”,  an impostant institutions such as KCH is supposed to have a maintainenca budget.

The paper calls for the lift  – which is too old – to be replaced, saying authorities at KCH should not compromise  services they provide.

Meanwhile, Ngoma told the paper that the hospital has since recommended to have the elevator replaced and government has since advertised in the local media for a competent supplier to express their interest through a competitive bidding process.

He said: “Interested suppliers have already submitted their bids and as we speak the process is underway to identify a replacement of the lift.”

Accoridng to Ngoma, the situation has forced the hospital to employ porters to carry patients and dead bodies up and down the three floors.

KCH is the major referral hospital for the Central Region and parts of the Northern Region