Queens Hospital dialysis unit ‘shuts down’: Malawi health crisis
Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (QECH) in Blantyre has temporarily shut down its dialysis unit because of non payment of materials to suppliers Fresenius Medical Care of South Africa , putting lives of patients with renal failure and other kidney problems at risk.
QECH is the country’s major referral public hospital but is unable to help patients because of non-functioning machines, Minister of Health Peter Kumpalume confirmed.
Ministry of Health is responsible for procurement of the supplies for the computer controlled machines—the most important equipment in treating chronic renal patients and those with kidney problems.
“The suppliers say they cannot track our payment un their account but over the months we have made paymenets of nearly K500 0000 000,” Kumpalume said.
The development has financially strained the health facility as it is now being forced to ferry the patients to and from Kamuzu Central Hospital (KCH) in Lilongwe—the only other public hospital with dialysis machines—to access the service.
Kumpalume said Ministry of Health will cover the transportation costs for the patients that are referred to KCH.
Those that can afford private clinic are being referred to Mwaiwathu Hospital to pay between K65,000 and K80,000 for every four hours they spend on the machine.
The Minister of Health said they have asked the suppliers to airlift the materials into Malawi.
WHY IS THE GOVERNMENT FALLING TO PAY FOR EQUIPMENTS WHICH CAN SAVE LIVES OF MALAWINS, WHILE THE MONEY IS KEPT IN THEIR POCKETS. WHAT A SHAME.
Why not prevent kidney failure and the need for dialysis instead? It has been possible for over 20 years. Anybody interested in staying off the kidney machine should click on “Contact Us” at GenoMed(dot)com. Once you’re on the machine it’s too late. In fact, the earlier you start our protocol, the better the chances of staying off dialysis.
It is happening in the southern region and Blantyre in particular, with all eyes to see and yet come 2019, so many fools called patriotic citizens in the same region will vote for DPP. Malawi is failing to rise and progress because it has some tribes that worship leaders even if they are bringing the country to its knees and leading the people to the dungeon of despair. It is an equation of: Ignorance +Hatred= Wrong Choice. If unchecked, this will continue until nobody knows when and the country will degenerate into a collapsed society. This is just my observation.
Come 2019 you will put them back into power with all this madness
Very selfish indeed, but the cabinet are able to buy themselves thousands of vx’s worth 100,000,000mwk each, when the hospitals are suffering! Ambuye akulankhuleni ndithu.