Msungama justifies his India medical trip,  speaks on hair treatment : ‘It’s my own Masm scheme not taxpayers’

Minister of Youth and Sports Ulemu Msungama has justified his trip to India where he went for a medical help on a leg problem and said he had taken advantage of the trip to undergo  a back and head surgery.

In an audio voice notes he sent to Nyasa Times reporter, Msungama confirmed that  he had travelled to India to seek medical attention on his leg.

“I injured my leg while playing social football for Parliament team,” he said.

“I went to ACB Clinic  (in Lilongwe) and then I was referred to Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital for MRI (Magnetic resonance imaging). Then the images were taken to Doctor Kampondeni for interpretation and I was recommended to go for surgery,” said Msungama.

“We have been processing this through Masm ( Medical Aid Society of Malawi  —the country’s biggest health insurance scheme by membership),” he said.

“Initially I wanted the surgery to be done in South Africa but with theCovid-19 threat , I opted for India. Of course if you compare the two, India is the best,” said Msungama.

Commenting on his pictures in head bandage which circulated on social media with claims that he had undergone a hair transplant after being paranoid of his hair loss, Msungama said he had to seek medical help on his back and tension headaches.

“Now because  I was here [India] , I took advantage of my presence. I had pain with my back and at the back of head and they did a surgery on that, hence the bandages,” he said.

Msungama said all the treatment was under his Masm scheme and not on taxpayers money, denying that K20 million was used for his medial bill.

On the hair transplant treatment, Msungama said : “I use hair fibres which I buy from UK . It’s almost equivalent K21 000  a bottle . I have another brother of mine who uses the same.”

Msungama has since returned home from the medical trip.