MEHN wary over Malawi government failure to pay Cham

Malawi Equity Health Network (MEHN), a public health service watchdog has told government to promptly honour its bills to church hospitals, saying the delays are negatively affecting ordinary Malawians who rely on the health facilities.

This comes at a time when Christian Health Association of Malawi (CHAM), the umbrella body of the mission hospitals said the government is still struggling to pay the bills despite that a new agreement is in force.

Under the agreement, mission hospitals provide health services for free in maternity and under five clinics and reduces drastically bills for other health services and the government pays the bills for such services ever month end.

Executive director of MEHN George Jobe said the government ought to hnour the agreement.

“People are suffering out there. There are some people who cannot walk a distance of 20 kilometres or more to seek public health care services. This will increase maternal mortality rate in the country,” said Jobe.

He said there was need for the Cham to give invoices to the government and get payment after two or three days.

Officials from government said in earlier interview that they were looking into the matter critically.

This comes at a time when top government officials, including the president and his cabinet ministers are now blowing tax payer money for political campaign purposes in a bid to return to power after the highly contested May 21 2019 elections.

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