Staff down tools at Kamuzu Central Hospital
Staff at the a major referral hospital in Central Malawi, Kamuzu Central Hospital (KCH) abandoned work on Tuesday demanding government to revise their allowances and salaries as well as addressing the problems facing the health facility.
Workers embarked on a work stoppage on Tuesday as they said they feel cheated that government has not revised their allowances and salaries given the circumstances they work under.
Stella Warren, chairperson of the KCH social welfare committee, said: “Government knows that the circumstances we work in are very risky and that the money they give us is not enough.”
Sick people coming to seek medical treatment were stranded with no one to attend to them.
Those who wanted to collect dead bodies of their relatives who died at the hospital could not get them because there were no workers at the hospital morgue.
Senior administrators at the hospital have asked Malawi Police to provide security at the institution.
KCH Director Dr Jonathan Ngoma said they are having a meeting with Ministry of Health officials on the issue.
“Yes I can confirm that today we have a high level meeting where officials representing government side are expected to respond to the demands as set by the hospital officials,” Ngoma told Nyasa Times.
Ngoma downplayed the start of the strike, saying: “We are having talks today so how can someone start striking and yet discussions are not yet concluded does that make any sense.”
President Peter Mutharika in his year-end State-of-the-Nation feed from Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe that was beamed on radio and television stations on Saturday night declared that the huge and haphazard salary demands by the strikers will not be granted.
Mutharika stressed that ill-meaning politicians in Malawi and outside the country were fuelling the on-going strikes but did not mention names despite warning that his government will deal with them.
In the past month, Malawi has been increasingly paralysed by a spate of strikes —whereby workers are demanding higher pay—in the civil service, the Judiciary and several other key public service delivery institutions, including the crime-busting Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB).
The President said his government is bent on harmonising salaries between the civil service and other public institutions, which had enjoyed higher salaries.
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To say di trut, Peter u r no leader by di majority’s choice. God will judge u.
CAN GOVERNMENT LOOK INTO THE HOSPITAL STRIKE AS A MATTER OF URGENCY
It never rains but pours for APM. With regard to Gatibo’s comment about KCH staff being lazy. Maybe, perhaps only 5% of them. I can assure you the majority are dedicated and hard working. Just give them resources (medicines, drugs, equipment, uninterrupted water& electricity etc). You will be surprised what they can do.
it never stop raining for Peter Muthalika but it pours . this is just the beginning we just want you to have cardiac arrest thats all
Govt was probably waiting for KCH staff to go on strike then respond to grievances which were lodged on 9-12-2014. How come the meeting is taking place now when concerns were given to govt on 9th of this month. Did the govt take the issue seriously?
I am afraid the strike may go country wide if govt does not resolve the matter with haste.
mbuzi iyi mutharika mkhalambayi yobela mavoti profesa wamanyowayu achoke satha chilichhonse koma kuba ndalama za edzi,kugula amtolankhani,kukwatila kamafupa kakeko mwanseli amafuna adzikwezele ndalama wachita kugwidwa panti alimmanja Mr Money get ready cardiac arrest is fast approaching
Someone is gonna die kadyakalistically
When our overworked, compassionate health workers stage a sit-in then we know something must be wrong, very wrong! Government should do all it can do to prevent this from happening for the sake of the poor patients. We all know where our officials go when they get sick……..South Africa and Private hospitals. Is is the reason why they seem not to care about the plight of the poor patients and the grievances of local health workers?
Harmonization is 100% suppprted Mr president.
Mukufuna kuzunza a ntchito anu mukubitsalira ku bible? Madandaulo okupatsani pa 9 december inu kumangokhala kuti mudzalembe izi. Inu kudzipatsa ma 80%, 168 %, 367% koma kwa ena 10 %. Kodi harmonization yotani imeneyo? Mukanapanda kutchera kumwezi bwenzi mutagawana zonsezo. Atsogoleri a chinyengo inu. Ndichifukwa chake one arm of the gvt is almost dead. Inu a executive ndi legislature mult special? Gwirani ntchitotu tikuoneni. A Pulezident mukapanda kudzuka ndikudzichepetsa, akuchepetsani Mulungu. Ine ndanena amene akukuzungulirani akukunamizani. Threats will take this country no where.
Mark 12:31/Matthew 22:39 read, “Love your neighbour as yourself”. “Again, do to others what you would want them do unto you”. My question to you medical personnel/nurses/social welfare providers in the hospital/etc., do you have love from the highest moral considerations, without self-interests? Our “neighbour” is every one with whom we are concerned. S/he is to be loved because s/he is God’s image and likeness, heir of the same hope as we ourselves, and presented to us as the object on and by which we are to show the reality of our love to God. And 1 John 4:21 says,… Read more »