BLANTYRE, Sunday, August 30, 2015, (MaraviPost): Sad reports from Malawi, are stating public hospitals have been directed by the Mutharika Ministry of health to ration food to patient’s one meal a day instead of the recommended three. This according to the reporting is largely because of financial difficulties facing the health sector. But health rights campaigners and many critics say the move is hazardous to the lives of the patients.
The Malawi public hospitals have long been providing free meals to patients, three times a day; breakfast, lunch and supper. This was even true during British colonial days and now our own Malawian led Government is said to be incapable of feeding its sick.
Now this has changed. The patients are getting one meal at 4 o’clock in the afternoon to keep them for the next 24 hours.
“Some hospitals have started doing that because of the low levels of funding that we have at the moment. So we know there is that kind of ad hoc solution as they try to prioritize with the little funding that they have,” said the Ministry of Health spokesperson Adrian Chikumbe.
This misguided policy appears to be in almost all district hospitals across the country. Regardless of funding woes President Peter Mutharika should understand that this is not sustainable in the long run. Starving the seriously ill patients will just exacerbate an already bad situation where patients are going without life saving medicines and surgeries.
Many people in the country including supporters of the DPP and Families of patients say the move is unwelcome. And indeed it should be appalling to many not just those related to the Patients.
Due to the heavy flooding that affected many parts of the country resulting in low yields, relatives and Guardians back home are unable to bring food.
Chikumbe said that while the concerns are genuine, public hospitals are not necessarily meant to provide food to patients.
“Our primary responsibilities are to treat the patients. And this is why when things were okay; we were contracting out the catering services because it’s not our core function [to provide food],” said Chikumbe.
What a dumb explanation, does he not realised feeding these patients is part of their treatment to recovery? Denying them food will make it difficult to treat them fully.
However he seem to understand that this is not sustainable as he added that the government is trying everything possible “to talk to partners for help.”
Juliana Lunguzi, the chairperson for the parliamentary committee on health, reportedly told VOA the food shortage situation in hospitals was expected.
“When we were doing the budget on the health sector, only 25 percent of the money that was required was appropriated for the health budget. And when the actual budget was given to the DHOs [district health officers], it was less that 50 percent of what was needed. So I am not surprised that we don’t have food in the hospitals,” said Lunguzi.
Health rights activist Martha Kwataine told VOA the food rationing contradicts advice doctors give to patients.
“One would have expected that food is a priority because oftentimes when you go to the hospital the doctor would say ‘take this medication after a meal,’ because if you take medication on an empty belly it can be hazardous, some people develop ulcers, things of that nature,” she said.
Malawi’s government has been struggling to fund its operations after donors who have long been contributing 40 percent to the national budget suspended aid in 2013 in the midst of the government corruption scandal.
The Donors do bear some responsibility as well. This is the kind of assistance that can be provided directly to where it’s needed by-passing Government structures If that is the really issue they continue to Punish Malawians
