By Pemphero Malimba:
The Nurses and Midwives Council of Malawi (NMCM), the Medical Council of Malawi (MCM) and the Pharmacy and Medicines Regulatory Authority (PMRA) have expressed concern over increased acts of malpractice, negligence and professional misconduct among healthcare providers across the country.
This is contained in a press statement co-signed by NMCM Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Registrar Judith Chirembo, MCM CEO and Registrar Davie Zolowere and PMRA Director General Mphatso Kawaye.
The three bodies have listed 15 forms of malpractice that healthcare providers are indulging in during their operations.
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These include charging fees for services that are legally free, irresponsible use of social media, theft of medical supplies, equipment and medicinal products, reporting for duty or treating patients while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, breaching patient or client privacy and confidentiality and sexual abuse of patients and clients.
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They have indicated that the incidents have a significant impact on the country’s healthcare delivery system.
“They cause physical and biological harm, undermine public confidence in the healthcare system and discourage people from seeking medical care.
“Such actions violate the fundamental human right to health and bring the health profession into disrepute, leading to a loss of public trust,” the statement reads.
The bodies have since warned that continued malpractice would attract the invocation of relevant legislation and disciplinary actions.
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“The disciplinary actions may include, but are not limited to, suspension, fines, referral for prosecution, revocation of the licence, deregistration or erasure from the register,” they say.
On the other hand, the three have called for collaboration between healthcare providers and healthcare consumers.
They state that the demand side of healthcare must actively fulfil its civic role to support the healthcare system in delivering effective services.
Health rights activist Maziko Matemba said there was a need for member associations to heed the call.
Matemba said the hope is that different healthcare associations will communicate this to their membership.
“The hospital management committees should also listen to this call, as it comes from the official regulators of all the medical professions in Malawi.
“At the end of the day, we would want to see the rights of patients in our hospitals being protected when accessing healthcare,” Matemba said.
MCM recently took disciplinary actions against several medical practitioners for various offences including those listed in the joint statement.
