Queen’s Hospital needs additional 1000 healthcare workers: KCN’s Kameza Campus now quarantine facility

Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (QECH) the country’s major referral centre needs additional 1 162 healthcare workers, the facility’s director  Dr Samson Mndolo told  Deputy Minister of Defence Chipiliro Mpinganjira during a tour.

Mpinganjira and  Machinga Central East legislator Daud Chikwanje visited QECH to assess the hospital on the state of preparedness to fight the pandemic.

Mndolo said QECH is served by 1 162 health workers and needs extra workers .

“We have Queens, the hospital which we have always had and we have created a screening area just next to the [QECH] gate. Then we have KCN [Kamuzu College of Nursing] Kameza [Campus],” said Mndolo.

Mndolo said although the hospital needs more staff in the work of Covid-19, more health workers need to be employed as the country still has malaria, Tuberculosis and maternal health battles to fight.

“We are happy that the ministry is recruiting 2000 health workers to be posted across the country, but we would like to ask for consideration to recruit more.

“If we are to have 1 000 more staff, we shall have enough staff and the capacity to serve well,” said Mndolo.

QECH has  sicne started  creening people entering the facility, including staff, patients, guardians and visitors as one way of preventing the spread of Covid-19.

Mpinganjira said he was impressed with the preparations QECH and Blantyre District Health Office (DHO) were making.

He acknowledged the shortage of staff and promised government would address the issue.

“Indeed, the 2000 health workers we are about to recruit are not enough. In fact, we need additional 4000 to 5000 of them,” said the deputy minister.

Meanwhile, the Eye and Ear section at QECH has been closed in order to accommodate members of staff in the event that they contract the disease.

In addition, KCN Kameza Campus has now been turned into an isolation centre as the quarantine facility is currently under renovation.

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