Treasury, ministry of health in verbal war as economy tilts badly

Treasury and ministry of health officials have been engaged in verbal war over hospital funding as the state of economy continues to tilt badly.

Health ministry spokesperson Adrian Chikumbe said Treasury funding is too low to meet high health standards in public hospitals including provision of food to patients for better administration of medicine to patients.

“Treasury is underfunding public hospitals, the money is far much below what parliament approved and this makes our job very difficult as we are allocated too little money to run the hospitals,” said Chikumbe.

However, Treasury spokesman Nations Msowoya said his departments gives the ministry of Health enough money to run public hospitals as approved by parliament.

“We give them their monthly allocation enough to run the public hospitals but sometimes the money is not used for intended purpose,” he said.

This comes after Bwaila Hospital has suspended provision of food to patients putting lives of sick people including those on TB at great risk.

Mangochi and Machinga district hospitals are calling for well wishers to help with food for patients.