Mutharika criticized for boasting of having medical health insurance in America

President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika has been criticized for boasting of having medical health scheme in the United States of America, saying Mutharika’s remarks clearly shows that he has no trust in the health system in the country.

Mutharika told a news conference at Kamuzu Palace that he was disappointed that some people were spreading false information about his health.

The Malawi leader reasoned that had it been that he was ill he would not have returned from USA because he has good medical insurance policy in America.

Reacting to Mutharika’s clams, National Organisation of Nurses and Midwives (Nonm) chairperson Dorothy Ngoma said she is deeply shocked with the remarks.

Ngoma said Mutharika’s statement clearly shows that he pays little attention to challenges that poor Malawians face when they want to access health care in public hospital.

“It is not a problem for him to access quality healthcare for himself. He has that right to health care. But what is very crucial in that is about the ordinary people, the poorest of the poor, children and women who are suffering in the corridors of our hospitals. These are the people who are spending days sleeping in overcrowded hospitals, without drugs, without food while their leaders are enjoying good healthcare abroad,” Ngoma said.

On his part, Umodzi Party (UP) President John Chisi wondered as to why President is still maintaining his medical insurance in United States of America while the rest of Malawians are feeling the pinch of economic down turn in the country.

Adding his voice on the matter, opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera the President to explain to Malawians why he is maintaining the health insurance policy in USA and yet fail to improve the health delivery services in the country which he is ruling.

“This is a clear testimony that the President has no trust in his country’s health care system that is why all his children are in USA. As Malawians do you really believe that this kind of a person can develop this country,” said Chakwera.

Effort to talk to Minister of Information and Communications Technology Malisoni Ndau on the matter proved futile.