Simply put; ‘dire’ is the status at Zingwangwa Health Centre in Blantyre.
The state-owned facility is on life-support machine operating without essential medical supplies, namely: BP machines, sterile gloves, and aprons; in-turn, exposing health workers to risks.
Besides; the facility, under the jurisdiction of Blantyre District Health Office, has for years been operating with fewer beds than the number of patients it admits, with a majority of the beds neither with mattresses nor beddings.
Whilst, health workers encourage sanitation, but ironically, patients say, the facility hardly runs with portable water source nor hand washing soap.
You may think that’s enough, no!
The past 48 hours have been a nightmare for expectant mothers and health workers alike.
In an undercover assignment; a mother seeking maternity attention, Mary Gama had to endure long hours whilst facility personnel figured-out where the next gloves will come from – for medically, they can’t handle such a delicate condition without sterile gloves.
Gama could not also have a Blood Pressure test due the malfunctioning BP machine at the facility.
A confidant at the facility told this undercover assignment that the only BP test machine at the facility stopped functioning 4 years ago.
Said the confidant: “The machine currently gives inaccurate results. In previous years, in some cases, guardians have been advised to source batteries for the machine if they want to have a BP test.”
In the absence of these medical supplies, the source said, hospital personnel do not facilitate any medical assistance to expectant mothers for their safety too.
However, no official at the hospital could speak to this publication. But according to Gama “I was told point-blank that I could not be assisted without sterile gloves. I found this a troubling experience and it’s only by grace that I have come through.”
In a desperate search for rescue, her guardian, [name with-held] called 322, a Toll-Free Line, instituted by the ministry of health but could only get assurance of help.
She says, she sympathised with the nurses who had to help the expectant mother with only two gloves and no apron at the same time feeling for the mother having labour pains.
She wonders why authorities are neglecting the facility from such basic necessities including ambulances forcing service seekers to fend for themselves.
On the side-lines, another mother, Chisomo Chapeya, tells her tale upon giving birth to twins.
She says: “There were complications with my children that led to a referral to Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, unfortunately the facility does not have an ambulance and I had to raise the funds myself to secure a taxi to Queens.”
Meanwhile, spokesperson for the DHO, Chrissie Banda, asked for time before she could provide details.
Hours later acting on this inquiry Banda responded saying medical supplies were on their way to being dispatched to the facility.
“On the inadequate of sterile gloves, the office has re-allocated gloves to the facilities, Zingwangwa inclusive. We have also used part of our allocated 10% drug budget to procure more gloves to be delivered tomorrow.”
She adds, “On inadequate beds, the office is aware and is working on it. On no sphygmomanometers, we have both manual and electric BP machines at the main pharmacy and the facility has been advised to place an order. Additionally, we have some aprons, but we are also doing relocations, and Zingwangwa has been issued.”
But this crisis raises deeper accountability questions how does a public facility run out of almost everything?
Ironically, talking of the medical supply chain, Malawi operates a digital system, Open-Source Electronic Logistics Management Information System (OpenLMIS) designed to track and manage medical supplies.
Yet here; it appears to have failed or humans have failed it for the system is only as effective as its use, a disappointment on the part of health rights advocate George Jobe.
“It has to do with officers and individuals especially the ones who were sitting on such information waiting for media to bring out the challenges. Such individuals have to be held accountable. When the drugs are not available in the hospitals, patients are the ones who suffer most,” said Jobe.
And from Parliament, Anthony Masamba, chairperson of the Health Committee points to weak coordination across the supply chain.
He picks on this case as one of such system failures in the supply living facilities like Zingwangwa Health Centre without drugs, equipment and with no protection.
“The issue is in two folds but revolves on the negligence by those responsible in the supply chain of medical drugs and equipment for health facilities. Above all, there must be a good coordination between the officers In-charge for health centres with officials from District Health offices,” he said.
For patients its uncertainty, for health workers, a risk, and for the system a test for efficiency.