Malawi govt given ultimatum to employ 51 recently graduated doctors

The Medical Doctors Union of Malawi (MDUM) and the Society of Medical Doctors (SMD) have given government a 14-day ultimatum to employ 51 recently graduated medical doctors or face industrial action by all medical doctors in the country.

Kumpalume: Challenge to employ the doctors
Kumpalume: Challenge to employ the doctors

This follows government’s failure to recruit recently graduated doctors within its health delivery system.

This, according to them, displays  lack of seriousness by government in redressing an ailing health system that is already on the “life support”.

MDUM and SMD said in a joint statement that Malawi has specialist vacancy rate of 83% and the recently graduated medical doctors, “whom government is ignoring”, could have added to the number of those medical doctors to undergo specialist training in various fields.

“This is retrogressive in a country that is still struggling to meet the minimum acceptable numbers of medical doctors to safely serve the populace.

“We have continuously been told that the leading factors in human resource shortages in health are inadequate outputs from health training institutions amongst others including emigration, resignations and deaths. Now that there are visibly significant improvements in the outputs from the College of Medicine, it is inexcusable for government to fail to absorb them,” reads part of the statement.

In a 2010 World Health Organization (WHO), Malawi had only 257 doctors serving a population of over 15 million.

There are currently 459 general medical practitioners registered with the Medical Council of Malawi.

“Despite the increasing number, the doctor-to-patient ratio remains alarmingly high. Malawi deserve better.

“Malawi remains one of a WHO priority country perpetually failing to meet the target of 23 doctors/10,000 population necessary to deliver essential health services.

“It is not surprising that we are a diseased country, still confronted with high mortality and morbidity rates in various disease categories. Government does not have the luxury to ignore 51 recently graduated doctors unless it is contented with what other commentators have vehemently asserted: Malawi government has its priorities upside down,” reads the statement.

Malawi has only two doctors and 37 nurses and midwives for every 100,000 people, according to the statement made available to Nyasa Times.

“Therefore, we are strongly urging government through its Department of Human Resource Management and Development to absorb the newly graduated medical doctors into our ailing health system immediately, whilst fulfilling its own commitment to train medical doctors.

“Failure to do so within 14 days will warrant an industrial action by all medical doctors in the country,” emphasized the statement.

There was no immediate comment from the government, especially the ministry of health. Minister of Health Dr Peter Kumpalume is reportedly outside the country.

Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :

Sharing is caring!

Follow us in Twitter
115 Comments
newest
oldest most voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Brighton
Brighton
8 years ago

The Government needs to employ these doctors because there is a big shortage of doctors in this country.In case these doctors find job else where,then who will fill this gap in Government hospitals.If at all we need to improve our health system(Government hospital),employing these doctors is a step towards it

Dausi
Dausi
8 years ago

What most doctors from University, College of Medicine know best ndikufinya zithupsya ndi ka degree kawoko. They are indeed specialists and doctors of finyiyotomy.(kudziwa kufinya ndi kuphulitsa zithupsya). Doctors degree in finyiyotomy. Komanso kupha bingu, dr death. Kutukwananao mu parliament kuti agalu inuu. Zoona.amalawi musamawamvere anthu ozungulira mitu wa

Williamson K. Banda
Williamson K. Banda
8 years ago

Todays doctors are far worse than old clinical officers. CoM is now for mass production of doctors. They are like people trained at a community day secondary school. Musatitopese ma fake doctors tikumasulani. How can you produce a good doctor in a poorly resourced university and hospitals? They are jusr doctors by name only

concernedDr
concernedDr
8 years ago

At the end of the day it’s the poor Malawian who suffers not the doctor

concernedDr
concernedDr
8 years ago

I knew DMK was a clinical officer lol.ma CO you attacked doctors calling us names mpaka kutukwana pompa saying you are the ones who work who know ntchito.my friend you say interns learn from ma CO I beg to differ,yes kuli ma good CO in the hospital that I can’t deny but majority are incapable of properly treating patients.you should calm down and try to work with doctors maybe learn something this bitterness is the reason you miss ma diagnosis and put your patients life at risk.by the way college of medicine is now offering bachelor’s degrees to COs please… Read more »

DmK
DmK
8 years ago

This is not an issue of who does what better. Clinicians And Doctors are all important. The fact is that this greedy government of ours has failed us and their systems including the health system are poor. Our country is brock kaya ndi chifukwa cha umbamva? Whatever the fact is tilibe ndalama as of now and boma likukanika kulipila ma nurse and doctors amaliza kumenewa. I’m sure ma clinicians who are about to finish their studies will also face the same problem soon. Komano a Malawi maka medical professionals tinazolowela zopusa. Munaona kuti intern akupatsidwa salary /allowances, nyumba yaulele, kumakatengedwa… Read more »

DmK
DmK
8 years ago

Aaa aaaaa now this is bull shit. I understand the importance of intern Doctors or just doctors in general but to come here and insult Clinical officers izo ndiye zamkutu. Osamanamiza anthu kuti Clinical Officers see patients with Flue and Uncomplicated malaria. We work as hard. Clinicians do alot of work in our hospitals. Ti ma intern tanu mukunenato amatiphuzitsa ntchito ndani akayamba kumene? Siamangobwera ataloweza za mma books and fail to deliver on the ground. Tikakamba za ku District even the so called District medical officers ntchitoso samatha.It has always been the clinical officers helping patients. We do everything… Read more »

concernedDr
concernedDr
8 years ago

Yho where is all this hate coming from? The funny thing is doctors are doing this for the sake ma patient but after reading this most don’t feel like fighting anymore.you don’t understand the role of intern medical doctors do you,yes when you come to the hospital with a flu or uncomplicated malaria you see a CO but when your child is severely dehydrated or you’ve been involved in an accident and are in need of emergency surgery it’s these same doctors that see you.you’re telling me you’d prefer to see a CO or MA ok.thing is alota people here… Read more »

wa ku Mitchesi kujaaaaa!!!!
wa ku Mitchesi kujaaaaa!!!!
8 years ago
Reply to  concernedDr

Disappointed with your argument here, “ConcernedDr”. Not cohesive, nor cogent. And this is from the creme de la creme? There is no argument as to whether the new graduates should have access to internships, so that they can complete their formal education, so that they can eventually license. And help patients. But the crux of the matter is it is unreasonable to expect the government to EMPLOY the graduates at the end. Please, get this through your skull. We are trying to get rid of the mentality of the government as the EMPLOYER in this country. Physicians have one of… Read more »

Nurse at KCN
8 years ago

I have seen that those who are writing trash here are frustrated medical doctors. So my free advice tasiyani zimenezo. Mupite kumudzi muzikalima minda kumeneko. Ntchito sikulembedwa ndi boma kokha ayi. Ili yonse ya manja ndi ntchito kupatula kuba. Tiyagwira mbava tiyikong’onkhontha ndithu

shyguy
8 years ago
Reply to  Nurse at KCN

Government nowadays isnt living to its promises all they know is lying and enriching its senior officer leaving a common villager dying with poverty muzatifuna 2019

Mphwiyo
8 years ago

I think Kamuzu anakulakwirani anthu nonse amuchipatala. Mumaona ngati ndinu anthu wofunikira kuposa wina aliyense mudziko lathu la Malawi. Muchedwa nazo zimenezo ndithuu

Read previous post:
Local suppliers cry foul over fertilizer contracts

Local suppliers have expressed concern over Malawi government's decision to award large quantity of contracts of supplying fertilizer for  Farm Input Subsidy Program...

Close