Kamuzu Central Hospital: Order restored as nurses go back to working overtime

Health workers at Kamuzu Central Hospital in Lilongwe on Tuesday resumed working overtime shifts ending a weeklong strike over low locum allowances after Vice President Khumbo Kachali intervened.

The decision by the workers, mainly nurses, to shun overtime in protest against the low allowances of K1,200 per day shift to 1,400 night to K6,000 and K8,000 respectively led to five deaths over the weekend.

Kachali, who is also Minister of Health, described the situation as regrettable and promised to look into the concerns by the health personnel.

“My prayer is that we shouldn’t continue losing lives therefore, I humbly ask you to go back and resume taking part in shifts,” pleaded Kachali adding;

“I really plead with you on behalf of all Malawians to resume taking part in shifts-you’ve my commitment that as a government we will look into your concerns so that the locum allowances are adjusted.”

Responding to the plea, the workers promised the Vice President that they would resume taking overtime shifts beginning Tuesday.

Locum is an arrangement government introduced to ensure continuous availability of clinical and nursing care by paying the staff based on the hours they have worked outside their routine schedule