Health personnel plan to hold strikes against charging of dental services at the hospital in Chikwawa

Medical personnel under N’gabu Rural Hospital in Chikwakwa are planning to hold strikes to force the authorities to act on one of their own worker accused of charging for dental services

The accused, Mphatso Batuwelo, is said to force communities around the facility including his own workmates pay K6,000 whenever they are seeking for the dental services which he was supposed to provide for free.

The stuff members, reported the same issue to the authorities at Chikwawa District Hospital in 2014, but nothing has been done.

They (staff) now feel not helped despite several calls to management to help them stop their colleague from what they feel is abuse of office and also infringement of patients’ rights.

One of the staff members said that the accused person should be sharing the money with the authorities because it’s been long since they have started reporting this

“Management has come, management gone but to no avail,” he said

He also said that despite being his fellow worker he charged him K6,000.

He continue saying that the accused dentist used to charge K4,000 but he told him that due to Cyclone Freddy, he had to raise the fee.