Malawi government delays to send Mabedi to India for treatment

Malawi government delays to send veteran actor Eric Mabedi to India to undergo a kidney transplant due to his long-term diabetic problem has worried his fanatics across the country who had been fund-raising for him.

Mabedi was supposed to fly to India on Monday, October 29 but the trip has been delayed on what the government said technical issues.

Higger Mkandawire, the chairman of Friends of Eric Mabedi, a grouping that has been fundraising for the ailing actor said the situation was worrisome.

“Time is not on our side. He needed to go to the specialist hospital on Monday but the government is delaying to send him there. We are worried,” said Mkandawire.

But spokesperson for the Ministry of Health Joshua Malango said the government was awaiting communication from doctors in India before flying Mabedi there.

“We gave the doctors a report on the condition of Eric Mabedi, they are supposed to get back to us to give us feedback before flying Mabedithere,” he said.

Malango said Mabedi cannot be flown to India without the doctors’ report, which he said was crucial for the treatment of the actor.

Mkandawire said as a group they remain optimistic that everything will fall in place and that the actor will travel to India to get the treatment.

He said they “remain grateful to the government for its intervention.”

Mabedi is one of the directors of one of the oldest drama groups in the country Kwathu Drama Group, and is also the current president for the National Theatre Association of Malawi (Ntam). He was recently appointed board chairperson of the Copyright Society of Malawi (Cosoma).