Malawi Council set to change nurse and midwives laws

Nurses and Midwives Council of Malawi is up and down Malawi soliciting views from people on how best to change the laws that govern nurses and midwives work to be in tandem with human rights and democracy.

The president of the Nurses and Midwives Council of Malawi Dr Anne Phoya said the current Act which set up the council is archaic.

“The council was enacted in 1965 so you can see it is over 50 years ago. It was repealed in 1995 but did not take into account current issues of human rights and democracy,” said Phoya.

She said among other key issues, the new law should take into accounts matters of sexual harassment.

“We have reports of male nurses and midwives harassing patients, proposing love to their patients in some cases even raping them so the new Act should take care of these emerging issues,” said Phoya.

She said to make it more relevant to people, the council is soliciting views from people on how best to repeal the Act.

“We want to have nurses and midwives with good behaviour, we don’t want complaints,” said Phoya.

It is to be known however when the new law will come into effect.