Malawi govt fails to send vulnerable citizens to foreign hospitals: Sends famous, powerful, rich people
Government has 175 Malawians who need to seek foreign medical treatment in South Africa and India for heart and cancer ailments but ministry of Health officials are conceding this is a tall order.
This comes after some sections of society expressed concern that most of these are as younger as five year olds and young women yet the government says it has no money to send them abroad whilst sending Gwanda Chakuamba, now a Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) turncoat twice to hospitals in South Africa and India.
However others say Chakuamba has done a lot for the politics of the country, fighting colonialists then Dr. Kamuzu Banda later fought Bingu wa Mutharika and Bakili Muluzi.
Ministry of Health spokesperson Adrian Chikumbe said the desire of the government was to send everybody who is on the list abroad for treatment but lack of money is the set back.
He said during the 2015 and 2016 financial year, the ministry asked for K950 million for the exercise but only K220 million was released before another K500 million.
Chikumbe said the money is still not enough as only 74 have managed to receive the foreign specialist treatment and 175 are still on the waiting list.
Some people however say some of the people who have accessed the money for the foreign treatment are already rich only that they are connected to the powerful DPP elite.
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What we are seeing today are the relics of Mphonongo Banda’s regime.During his era,he used more foreign medical hospitals than anybody else,but at last he lost and succumbed to natural demise.We have seen Bakili Muluzi with his associates travelling abroad for medical checkups and treatment and also we had seen unbelievable episodes when Bingu’s dead body was transported to South Africa for treatment using hired Air Ambulance costing thousands of US$ belonging to public funds.There was no need to waste public funds while the rogue thief had already capitulated to death.I have here to give an instance of one of… Read more »
this is the total lie …we have witnessed some oldnary people being sent to SA for treatment…just because has now sent chakuamba who happen to be DPP member..mwayambapo nkhani ,…..malawians whats wrong with you
Mzati, all we are saying is that this practice of sending people abroad, ordinary or not, should stop. It can only stop if we have good medical facilities in Malawi. Even sending ordinary people abroad, will it stop our hospitals from further decay and poor facilities? Sending people abroad is not the solution to the shameful poor health service in Malawi. If people want to go abroad for medical treatment, they should use their own money not govt money. If the president, politicians, top govt officials, the famous and rich, choose to go abroad for medical treatment using govt money,… Read more »
Malawi is the poorest, yet the country with the highest inequality levels in the world because the few supposed rich and powerful abuse their wealth and power to grab whatever remaining meager tesources that had initially put aside for the majority poor. Look at the list of real beneficiaries of cashgate (already rich and powerful businessmen), list of those who plundered the tractors from India (powerful politicians and top government officials), priority list for medical referrals (top politicians and government officials), I can go on and on… It is really heartbreaking how the majority poor people are treated in this… Read more »
why sending an old guy (80yrs) whose productive time is on the decline rather than a 5 year old who has not enjoyed in life and can be much productive to the nation than Gwanda who is bent on opportunist always
Nkhongo zanu nonse kuyambila wa information mzimaiyo mpaka kumtundako. Munthu osauka kumavutika koma inu kupelekezana kunja chifukwa chodziwana basi.Nkhongo zanu nonse Mwamvaaaa!!!
This is pathetic. Sending people abroad for treatment using govt money should be abolished immediately. They should use their own money. This applies to all govt officials who abuse the system from the president, ministers, MPs, PSs, etc to the lowest ranked official or general citizenry. The only way these selfish politicians and senior govt officials can improve our health services in the country is to abolish their foreign trip treatments funded by the tax payer. Only then would they really pay attention to our shameful hospitals and improve. Themselves when they are sick they just fly to South Africa… Read more »
Rude and unpalatable comments from ordinary Malawians emanate from such insensitive govt actions of sending dpp stooges abroad for medical treatment. Govt shud stop mediocrity and Malawians will follow suite. Anthu atukwanatu apa!
osaukafe tizingosaukabe.Ikakwana nthawi ya mavoti muzawavotereso Mbamva za dpp mwamva.Afiti inu mwamva.
Social injustice at its best.
Shame shame just because he is politician? I don’t understand health officials approving this ku kondera basi, shitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii