In a bid to improve efficiency and quality services towards handling of corpses in all public hospitals due to series of shocking incidents of decomposition, Malawi government plans to privatise mortuaries.
This comes amid anxiety and uncertainties gripping public hospitals across the nation with series of shocking incidents of faults mortuaries have been developing which leads to decomposition of corpses as the recent ones being the Kamuzu Central and Dedza District Hospitals.
Heath Minister Jean Kalirani has confirmed the development to the Maravi Post saying the task force has been set up to look into the feasibility plan on how it will work considering that most mortuaries are out-dated and do not tick to the current health standards of handling corpses.
Kalirani revealed that Public Private Partnership Commission (PPPC) is tasked to carry the plan saying the move is part of public reforms aimed at improving efficiency and quality services.
“Most mortuaries are old which are running with pressure due to high population growth resulting into unable to meet the current demand hence cases of corpse’s decomposition. It is this regard, government plans to commercialize all mortuaries in public hospitals.
“PPPC has been tasked to carry the work. If this works then such cases of corpses’ decomposition won’t be there. In fact this won’t also new in Malawi as College of Medicine in Blantyre has already started doing it.
“We have to change our mid set and define what serves our lives better than keep on complaining. It’s paramount that the public pay for such services to get quality service. All measures are taken care of the poor rural people who die while accessing treatment at referral hospitals”, assures Health Minister Kalirani.
Meanwhile the proposal to have mortuaries privatised has excited health expert saying public hospitals will be able concentrating their core mandate to save lives than the dead.
Martha Kwataine, Malawi Health Equity Network (Mhen)’s Executive Director expressed optimism of the development that would bear fruits of saving lives than dead bodies while cautioning on government towards the poor’s ability to access such services without payment.
“Mortuary management is a supplementary service as generally hospitals are mandated to save lives not dead bodies. Relatives are responsible for corpses. The problems with Malawians, we respect a lot dead bodies than patients or the sick.
“Other countries are already doing this. Our mortuaries have been deteriorated because of lack of ownership such that if it’s run by someone else, they will manage them well. However, government must make sure that poor, who die in accessing services especially in referral hospitals who also don’t have relatives to pay such charges are considered”, urges Kwataine.
Currently, relatives pay MK2, 500 for embalming, MK1, 000 for washing and dressing and MK1, 000 per night for storage of departed loved ones at some private mortuaries.