Malawi girl died because of electricity blackout: UDF’s Patel brought the issue to Parliament
The death of one of a 17-year-old girl at Mangochi District Hospital the patients was caused by a power outage, Health Minister Atupele Muluzi confirmed in Parliament after United Democratic Front (UDF) member of Parliament (MP) for Mangochi South, Lilian Patel, raised the issue in the House.
Patel raised the issue as a matter of national importance, querying what led to the death and what the government had done to ensure this does not recur.
The power failure is the reason for the patient being tipped early into inevitable death as medical personnel were waiting for a standby generator to be moved from another ward to power up the operating theatre where she was due to undergo an emergency operation.
“The hospital has generators but they were not working. By the time the electrician was called to fix the problem, the woman had died. This was complete negligence on the part of the hospital. What happened for staff not to be available at hand to fix the generator,” Patel asked.
Muluzi confirmed receiving a report of the death of the girl due to power failure at the hospital last Thursday.
He said generators at Mangochi District Hospital were operated by an electrician who is an employee of the district council.
Muluzi said sthe hospital management had dismissed the negligent electrician, adding that another electrician had been identified to reside within hospital premises.
The hospital does not have an automatic standby generator, hence the need for personnel to move a smaller generator to the operating theatre when the need arises.
“The electrician was not available and this delayed critical care to the patient. It is a regrettable and unfortunate incident which hospital management has investigated and the electrician has since been dismissed for dereliction of duty and negligence,” he said.
Dowa West Member of Parliament, Alexander Kusamba Dzonzi, reminded Muluzi of the promise he made at the height of blackouts last year, that health facilities would be prioritised, to which Muluzi said Mangochi District Hospital is prioritised and blackouts are not usual there.
Kusamba Dzonzi also asked about the policy direction that the government is taking in terms of using generators that automatically switch on the moment electricity goes off.
But, when pressed further by Dowa North legislator Enos Chitatanga, Muluzi could not commit to compensating the family of the victim.
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Indeed the DPP is fulfilling it’s electoral promises
Inde a big shame on the MPs. They can afford buy a Genset with a change over switch. Very sad. All they know is pocketing allowances left right and centre
This is just a tip of a huge iceberg involving under-funding in all government sectors. The hospital technician and management may be easy & convenient targets to disguise real underlying political/economic problems. That’s what happens when a DPP-UDF marriage of convenience instead of providing solutions to an ailing economy the dual rather invest ndalama zankhaninkhani kumagula greedy, selfish, recycled and opportunistic politicians (change golo, BJ) at the expense of providing adequate funding for essential government sectors. Mwina izizi zamveka tsopano chifukwa wamwalira (RIP) ndi m’bale wa Patel but the TRUTH is it’s an everyday occurrence. Don’t just BLAME, innocent but… Read more »
The sad thing is millions Malawian will vote for dpp again. Its like normal thing for them
cud be both negligence, incomptence,mechanical problems? no bak up genrator?
yes nnothing like a checklist about nedds on atupeles agenda. they are busy kumanga kaye ma stadium. eetu iwe unali ngati kathoole kothokezela tate wako from bingu when u got no clue of wats on the list to do. once in paliament koma kumabgotukana azimai ena. eh
WHY DISMISS THE ELECTRICIAN NOT THOSE WHO ARE SUPPOSED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE HOSPITAL HAS POWER ALL DAY. SHAME. IT IS THE MINISTER WHO NEEDS TO GO NOT AN ELECTRICIAN
Why should this victim get compensation? Just because she shares the same region with the Health minister? . I don’t think so. Many people have died in silence because of blackouts. Opposition MPs have said this many times but the government side in Parliament remained quite. Now because it’s a relation Patel thought of voicing it. We also lost one brother in Thyolo but our MPs says nothing because is from DPP. Malawians, let’s learn to talk with one voice in issues of national interest.
Government staff are negligent because president and his cabinet are careless and incompetent. Mutharika resign now!
Shame to all Mangochi MPs and the UDF as the party. Shithole party with shithole MPs! You mean generator from one ward to another? The hospital has such a small generator … ya ku game.. serious …. UDF as a party … you did not plant in ten years, and youuuuuuuu Atupele as the Minister you did not think of planting heavy machine …. at Mangochi hospital and yet you want the same people to vote for you ….. shame on you …. To yu members of parliament from Mangochi , how any are you…you mean you can not but… Read more »
So touching