A sit-in by health workers at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (QECH) has led to the closure of life saving wards at the facility.
Departments and wards such as labor, gynecologic, ante-natal, post-natal, Intensive Care Unit and theater have been affected as workers are demanding personal protective equipment.
The workers also want their risk allowance to be hiked and more health workers to be recruited as the Covid-19 pandemic has put pressure on hospitals.
Expectant women are among people sent back home from Queens as few workers are working to assist newly born babies.
“Patients are being told to go back because there are no workers to help them. Overall, we can say about 70 to 80 percent of the work here has been affected,” one of the workers told the local media.
The health workers’ industrial action started last week but Hospital Director Samson Mndolo has since expressed hope that it will end soon.
“We are still talking and so far so good,” said Mndolo.
In Malawi, Covid-19 has killed two out of 17 cases registered. There Have also been three recoveries. Nine of the cases have been recorded in Blantyre where QECH is located.
