Written by Richard Kayenda
Death of one Tardeo Kauswe, a Marine Sergeant officer for Nkhata Bay Police Station in a road accident; whilst on duty, exposes how inadequately stocked public hospitals in the country are.
According to reports, late Kauswe was in a company of seven fellow cops who were rushing to a crime scene at Kachiringa in the district.
Upon reaching some point near Nkhata Bay District Hospital, the driver of the police vehicle they were travelling in, failed to negotiate a corner and lost control of the vehicle. The vehicle skidded and fell to the extreme verge of the road
This accident claimed the life of officer Kauswe and seriously injured another one, who was referred to Mzuzu Central Hospital while six other officers escaped with minor injuries.
However, when the remains of late Kauswe were taken to Nkhata Bay District Hospital mortuary for embalming, before departure to his original home in Monkey Bay, Mangochi, it was revealed that the hospital had no formalin, liquid used for embalming dead bodies .
When officers at the hospital called Mzuzu Central Hospital to check if this hospital could have the said liquid, Mzuzu Central Hospital also proved to have nothing in stock.
One health worker anonymously confided in Maravi Post that Nkhata Bay District Hospital has for sometime been running without the medical liquid and other drugs.
This situation forced the bereaved and some colleagues of late Kauswe to resort to Muwa Hospital in Mtakataka, Dedza; en route to Mangochi, to seek such a service.
Late Kauswe hailed from Mtewa Village, Traditional Authority Namkumba in Mangochi. He is survived by a wife and three children.
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One response to “Malawi’s Nkhatabay police officer death exposes medical inadequacy in hospitals”
So very sad may his rest in internal peace and may God Almighty confort his family and relatives