Malawi Police thwart Bwaila Hospital protests: Arrest ring leader

Malawi Police in Lilongwe have arrested a member of staff at Bwaila District Hospital, thwarting a scheduled protests as the arrested person was the ring leader. [caption id="attachment_97341" align="alignright" width="316"] Ministry of Health spokesman, Chikumbe: No immediate comment[/caption] Junior staff at the hospital planned the peaceful protests to force the government transfer the district health officer Dr M. Mwale whom they are accusing of gross mismanagement and corruption. Sources at the hospital said the planned demonstrations were set on Wednesday when the police picked up one of the ring leaders on an unrelated charges. "Dr Mwale has grossly run down the hospital, he is very corrupt, the hospital spends a lot of money in paying to garages and catering services," said  Nyasa Times source. The junior staff says the DHO flatly refuses to assist members of staff when they are bereaved. Ministry of Health spokesperson Adrian Chikumbe asked for more time before commenting on the issue. However, the protests come barely a week after a health civil rights body, Youth Health Network petitioned the minister of Health Peter Kumpalume to remove Dr Mwale and four other top officials accusing them of corruption and maladministration. Other officials include the district medical officer, the principal administrator, the deputy district environment officer.