Reforms gather momentum, Chilima meets 5 more ministers: ‘Malawi reintroduces paying health facilities’
Vice-President Salous Chilima on Tuesday met five Cabinet ministers in his continued busy schedule where on a daily basis he is briefed on the reforms the ministries are implementing or plan to undertake as government embark on the journey to reform the public sector.
The first minister to meet Chilima on Tuesday was Minister of Health Khumbize Kandodo who revealed that the ministry is implementing an initiative to make Central Hospitals autonomous as well as reforms to fight theft of drugs in hospitals.
Kandodo said plans are at advanced stage to decentralise the management of Kamuzu Central Hospital, Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Mzuzu Central Hospital, Zomba Central Hospital and Zomba Mental Hospital.
She said the initiative will help to enhance efficiency in the operations of central hospitals.
“The ministry already conducted management and capacity assessments in the mentioned hospitals as well as developed Trust Deeds and Terms of References for the Central Hospital Boards,” reported Kandodo.
Chilima said government is pleased with the initiative and urged the ministry to speed up the remaining processes that include finalisation of the composition of the board to move forward with this reform.
During the meeting, Kandodo also said the ministry is also working on reforms to revitalize optional paying services in some central and district hospitals as one way of generating revenue improving health service delivery in government hospitals.
” Apart from reducing congestion, the initiative would also mean that in future, with laid out guidelines, the hospitals could retain some percentage of the revenue to improve service delivery,”she said.
Kandodo said Mzimba, Nkhatabay, Mulanje, Nkhotakota, Chitipa and Mwanza district hospitals have already piloted the process of optional paying .
Malawi’s Secretary for Health Charles Mwansambo said the paying policy was never abolished, but that most public hospitals made unilateral decisions to abolish it after they felt that they were not directly benefiting much from the money realised from the hospital fees.
In the afternoon, Chilima met Minister of Information Gospel Kazako and Deputy Minister of Defence Jean Sendeza.
Kazako briefed Chilima on reforms to upgrade the entire government ICT infrastructure.
” We all agreed that this upgrade must be achieved as soon as possible because ICT will be an enabler for implementation of various reforms from other ministries ranging from e-agriculture to e-wallet,” said Chilima.
The Veep also proposed to the Minister to work on a cut-off point where senior government officials must stop transacting government business on private emails, saying such tendency can not be allowed to go on.
Kazako said his ministry is reviewing the mandate and structure of the department of E-Government in order to roll out ICT services in all government ministries and departments.
” I suggested that the department must be elevated and become a stand-alone Agency with exclusive mandate driving the ICT agenda of the government. In this digital era, the E-Government department should not be a by-the-way kind of department. It must be restructured,” said Chilima.
Kazako also presented a number of game-changing reform areas that will improve the communications industry and Chilima pledged to continue discussing the reforms and take the suggestions on board in consultation with other stakeholders.
On her part, Sendeza briefed Chilima on five reform areas that the ministry is undertaking which include commercialization of Malawi Defence Force Engineers Battalion, commercialisation of Malawi Defence Force Agriculture Production Unit and the establishment of the Military Referral Hospital.
” Once operational, the hospital will provide modern Health services to Malawians and help government save forex on foreign medical referrals. Land has already been identified in Area 35 in Lilongwe,” said the minister.
The Veep then suggested to the Minister that the hospital should be a priority because it is five years behind schedule.
Chilima said he was impressed with the reform to commercialise the Agriculture Unit so that in the long run the unit will act as an alternative source of MDF rations.
Other ministers Chilima met were for Mining, Rashid Gaaffeer and for Industry Roy Kachale.
The Veep announced that he will be meeting the ministers again in the 90 days to track progress and give further direction on the reforms where necessary.
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Never seen a deputy president work so hard ever. Words become. It starts with talking then substance follows and not vice versa. We are on the right track as good will come out it. Long may it continue.
Social Media Govt
Veep i salute you.
Please Pres. Laz don’t accept the reintroduction or according to some reinvigoration of the paying system in our main hospitals because all along we have been crying for better and afordable health delivery services. Ask yourselves how a poor villager in Malenga Mzoma Nkhata Bay will find the monies to pay for specialised treatment when there is the optional to pay. Corruption will be the order of the day in our hospitals as personnel will be more intetested in attending to the fee paying patients than the poor after all the ectras will go towards paying locam and allowances. First… Read more »
Sikuti akati cholipira meaning anthu a kumudzi or ovutika salandira chithandizo. I remember Kamuzu Era kumakhala kolipira ndi kosalipira in fact anthu ambiri preferred treatment yakosalipira because the doctors were dedicated. People chose paying wards for privacy and just the comfort of being like home. This actually is a good idea it will actually benefit the poor themselves because ndikulipila boma lidzigula mankhwala enough for both paying and non paying patients
DPP government did these
At last, our beautiful Malawi, which was on a verge of collapsing, and being declared a country beyond economical and political restoration, is going in a direction of developmental and international stature.
We thank God for the Tonse Alliance government, its leadership, and all their collective effort to transform, heal and move our country forward, after the past years of lamentable and nauseating corruption and disorderliness.
May God bless Malawi, keeping it a land of peace !
Open you eyes. Chilima is a salesman. The economy is in decline.
DECLINE JUST IN 30DAYS?
You certainly need to open your eyes. You seem to be blinded by your party politics affiliation.
WOW!, what a government we’ve got now. God forbid if we had chimulirenji (bless him), with nkhalamba still in charge.
These are just words and promises. The economy is in free fall as we speak.
So just meetings and meetings and meetings, put down your papers and start working guys! Aaaaaa tikhalila zokhazokhazi? Pa 90 days mwapatsanayo,tizidzamvaso zomwezo? Aaaaaa no! Don’t waste our time with lip reforms guys!
Lazarus, can you see the delay happening here? Samalani bwana, today we are talking about Peter Mutharika ngati Mbuzi ya President in this country without knowing kuti mzothekaso nanu mawa mukhala wotelo chifukwa zikuchitikazi ndizongotaitsa nthawi mmalo moti ntchito ziyambike tikanali pa meeting meeting meeting meeting!
Ndiwe galu….ukasowa cholemba uzingokhala. Kuganiza ngati Chimulirenji
Kotiman, if you check my comments in all articles concerning Dr Lazarus Chakwera, you will see that, I talk more of his dignity and his leadership, but listen carefully my cry to him and to the Tonse Alliance family! We cannot make it just to be having meetings now and then, for example the issue of job creation, is very far from the start, the Government according to Mr Ken Kandodo,is also trust the private companies to creat more jobs which them too are also expecting the Government to do them Licenses, now you can agree with me that, if… Read more »
Totally agree. Too much talk and promises from Chilima and Chakwera. Unfortunately people are gullible. They believe words as truth and CHANGE in itself. Our economy is declining as Chilima and Chakwera are busy putting the volume up for megaphone and social media politics.
Dobadobas out of all Traffic offices please! And dignity for us please. Staff behave as if they are bosses instead of workers. Free us please! They want people to scramble for services. I hate their places. And immigration offices too.