Healthcare in Malawi

In Malawi, the health care system has been at the forefront of concerns among citizens and the government alike for years. Organizing sufficient health care and providing the resources to promote good health in Malawi has been a constant struggle. Recently, hospitals have been suffering from shortages of clean water, beds, and adequate staffing; making providing adequate health care difficult. 

At Khombedza Health Center, near Salima, expectant mothers and other patients who are able are required to sleep on the floor. In some cases, when space runs out on the floors in the ward, patients are forced to sleep in hallways or outside areas. According to the Nyasa Times the hospital simply does not have enough beds to be able to provide one for every patient. Due to its location near two hospitals where patients pay for care, all those who cannot afford to pay for services end up at Khombedza. In addition to a shortage of beds, the hospital also has poor mosquito netting, which is sometimes ripped and cannot prevent patients from contracting malaria and other diseases. The matter has been reported to the District Health Officer who can hopefully provide proper equipment or even build another health center to help provide for the 56,000 people Khombedza serves. (Nyasa Times)

Ntcheu Hospital has had to suspend major operations due to a lack of clean water in the district. The water supply has been undependable for approximately five months with conditions worsening as of late. Many people from the Ntcheu District have been forced to drink unsafe water which is causing more cases of diarrhea and other ailments. The citizens of the District called for answers from the Central Region Water Board with a ten-day ultimatum to address the issue. In the meantime, the hospital finds itself ill-equipped to help those affected by unclean drinking water, without clean laundry or properly functioning toilets. (Nyasa Times)

Though the situation at Malawi hospitals is better than in the past, there is still much need for improvement. On top of other issues, hospitals find themselves understaffed with the current nurse to patient ratio at 34:100,000 far lower than the recommended 500:100,000 (Nyasa Times). Attention is being drawn to these issues and programs to train more nurses as well as provide proper facilities and utilities are being developed. It can only be hoped with the help of the local government, as well as global support, Malawi can look forward to a brighter future of health care.