Ombudsman wants inquiry on Malmed Clinic over ‘Asian first’ vaccine arrangement
The public protector – Ombudsman Martha Chizuma has said there is need for an inquiry into arrangement in which Malmed Clinic in Blantyre allegedly set aside an hour on Sunday for the exclusive Covid-19 vaccination of the Indian community.
The arrangement with Blantyre District Health Office triggered angry reaction from Malawians who took to social media to complain of “racism.”
“I hope the leaders of the Asian community will take steps to ensure that this nonsense is avoided at all costs, as we Malawians will never allow it to happen on our soil,” social media influencer Stanley Onjezani Kenani posted on his Facebook page.
Another social media influencer, US-based Fatima Nkata questioned the arrangement.
“What phase of the roll out is this where race – and how deep your pockets are – determines your priority in receiving the jab? We are allowing this to happen in post-colonial Africa in the year 2021?” she wrote.
Nkata described the arrangement as “appalling.”
Malmed Clinic official defended the arrangement, saying the Asians had contributed money to pay workers allowance so that they can administer the jab on Sunday and in return offered exclusive vaccination of the Indian community the first one hour.
Minister of Health, Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda, ordered the arrangement to be stopped, saying the Indian-made Oxford/AstraZeneca doses is for “all Malawians and for free.”
Chiponda said “no special arrangement will be entertained, no allowance to the vaccinators is allowed.”
Ombudsman Chizuma has indicated she will investigate the matter.
“If indeed this is an arrangement that was made by Blantyre DHO with this clinic it is something that needs to be further inquired into to understand what exactly the thought process was to arriving at that arrangement . And I will do exactly that,” Chizuma indicated
Meanwhile, government says the country will have enough Covid-19 vaccine for everybody.
Secretary for Health, Charles Mwansambo, made the remarks on Friday at a press briefing on the update of the Covid-19 situation in the country.
So far, 15,326 Malawians have received the jab since the launch of the vaccination program.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization Country Representative for Malawi, Dr Rose Nonhlahla Dhlamini, has assured Malawians of the safety and efficacy of the AstraZeneca vaccine saying its benefits outweigh the risks.
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This won’t go anywhere just like all the other cases in Malawi.
This time around the “want” to investigate comes from the Ombudsman. When it comes to Crossroads saga, Kokoliko mysterious capital of K70bn, training of MCP- MYP mercenaries and the many others, then the Ombudsman is inept even if people have brought the details of evidence to her. What a selective Ombudsman!
This is sick sick. Get rid of Chakwela NOW!!
Indians are very very corrupt,
And we Africans? We have totally failed
No Indians are not corrupt its the people who took the money there r corrupted
Vimbundi
It was a good arrangement only that all Malawians were supposed to receive the jab.
Simply kill the involved Indians and close the clinic in question. How long shall the natives suffer in our own land? How long shall our ancestors keep crying from their graves for the blood they lost in vain for us to be free? How long? How long shall we keep having sellout leaders? How long?
Moderator, please remove this comment.
I don’t think this is a hot issue to put on your table coz there are so many issues to be investigated and can bring us something that we Malawians can benefits
African leaders have propensity to sell their own for money. Even slavery would not have happened if africans were not catching fellow africans, binding them and selling them to whites and arabs, One can be educated but mentally still a slave , a special arrangment for masters to get vaccine thats why they are taking all prime land and fucking our girls left right and center. Fotseki amwenye inu, mwaonjeza
Now government is lying. Government told us they will sell some to enable them order more. What has changed?
The government is too soft with amwenye. We need another Idi Amin in this country. Melmed clinic must immediately be closed and licence confidticated from the opertor, Lock up both DHO and the owner of Melmed. Investigations are a time waster since the matter is staight firward.
How is it different that the president and other well to do people already received their jab. Ministers and senior civil servant will also receive theirs seperately
Heee anzanu anasanja allowance inu mwati muwaphumitse anthu oyipa 😂
Hang them by their balls and breasts. This nonsense shouldn’t go unpunished
THE ONLY GOOD INDIAN IS A DEAD ONE.
Let’s just accept that we Malawians are idiots that is why these issues are happening time and time again. We continuously vote bastards into power who connive with these people hence making them arrogant. For once let us be non partisan and objective. When Bakili was in power all this nonsense started but there has been no will by the successive governments to stop it. It still thrived during DPP, PP and is still thriving during MCP. Even Chisales case, is Chunara not involved? so why only arresting Chisale?. I say it again without fear we are idiots.
We are a hell rotten people. We glorify pink skin do much. Why dont we hold our heads high over our shoulders and be proud of the malawian we are unlike thinking others are superior. Mhiex
You have my support.
Ain’t you right? We indeed are idiots and I think we derive a lot of satisfaction from being second class citizens in our own country and the painful truth is that even those who we look up to glorify medicrity, usually at a very tiny reward at the expense of masses.
Poor we.
Well said. The official communique from DHO doesn’t actually deny that this stupid arrangement was indeed made. I suspect money may have already changed hands.
The chutzpah displayed by these guys was so extreme to the extent that they fully expected us all to be very grateful by merely sitting at the back of the vaccine train. Some lives are more equal than others, so they thought.
I’ve little doubt they will come up with a different scheme. A lot more devilish and discreet this time.
Brother,
We are not idiots but we vote idiots into office thinking they will serve us only to realise they are serving the bastard.
Vimbundi
no we are idiots because it’s not limited to politicians. Even a simpleton like the Malawian man in Kasungu who was conniving with the Chinese to traffic fellow Malawians. Go to Road traffic and immigration and see indians jump the queue
Then you voted for a wrong person , instead of voting for Chakwera you were voting for DHO? ZAMANYAZI
KKKKKKKKKKK HAHAHAHA