MOH Swindling Medics’ Salaries

By: Thula Chisamba

Recent findings by this publication from the Ministry of Health has established that government is exploiting hundreds of retired medics who were redeployed in various health centres across the country.

It has been established that most of these medics are not receiving their salaries and allowances, despite working tirelessly to save Malawian lives.

Inside sources have confided that the problem might be a deliberate move set by the authorities who are making ends meet from funds meant to pay these health workers.

“Something fishy is going on because the problem has been there for some years now and yet the authorities are still mute on such a sensitive matter,” said the source.

Just like many victims of the problem, Joseph Nkunika, told our team on Friday that he has not received his money for some time now.

Nkunika who works at Nkhata bay health centre said, despite sending complaints to the authorities, nothing tangible transpires from them.

“But when they were employing us back, the agreement was that we will be receiving the money as usual,” he said.

A number of related concerns are being roared by such medics in Mzimba and beyond but the Ministry of Health seem to be unwilling to solve the problem.

Mzimba District hospital public relations manager, Healings Nyirenda confirmed the problem, citing his office already forwarded the complaints to the relevant authorities.

Despite several attempts to speak to District Health Officials, efforts proved futile because they kept referring our team to the Minister of Health, Peter Kumpalume.

In an interview, Kumpalume, said efforts are already in place to rectify the problem thus the complaining medics must wait because the problem will be resolved.

“The thing is that we had problems with the system which was still recognizing them as retired staff, consequently, the problem emerged.

In fact, we sincerely apologize for that but hopefully the problem will be resolved soon,” he said.

Meanwhile, the problem has hit these aged medics hard because they depend on money the money for their livelihoods.