Nurses fired for ill-treating expectant woman in Malawi

Three months after Phalombe District Council interdicted three nurses from its main health centre on suspicion that they handled an expectant woman in a negligent manner, Local Government Commission has finally fired them.

In January this year, the media reported about the negligent manner in which the three nurses handled Alinafe Mtsinje of Filisi Village, Traditional Authority Kaduya in the district who was denied access to the labour ward on grounds that the room was being cleaned.

This development forced her to deliver her baby in a hospital bathroom drainage.

District Commissioner for Phalombe, Gossam Mafuta has confirmed having communicated the dismissal to the three who were interdicted in March, 2018.

Mafuta said “the whole essence of decentralization was to enhance monitoring and discipline for public service delivery to be effective, as such, the council would not sit around watching non-performance and negligence within its jurisdiction.”

He further expressed commitment that the district council would not condone any misconduct in the public service delivery system.

Public Relations Officer for Phalombe District Health Office, Daniel Chiromo, said the three nurses namely Maureen Chilikutali, Mphatso Chanza and Mercy Sonjera have so far been served with the dismissal communication.

Chiromo however worried that the firing of the two would increase the burden on the District Health Office which was already facing an acute shortage of nurses.

Meanwhile, nine primary school teachers from various schools in the district are on interdiction pending Local Government Commission’s final determination on allegations that they were involved in extra-marital affairs with some of their learners.