Theft has become so rampant at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (QECH) that most departments are losing fittings and other important material every week, Malawi News has learnt.
We visited the hospital this week and established that although there are security guards located in strategic places, they hardly scrutinise those visiting the hospital.
In the end, things such as medical supplies, sinks and taps among others have been disappearing from the wards perpetrated by both outsiders and insiders.
Our investigations have established that this month alone, there have been four known theft incidents at the hospital.
On July 10, 2016, 17 taps disappeared from one of the wards. Three days later, someone was caught at midnight carrying a sink.
On Wednesday this week, another person was caught with medical supplies and on Thursday a health worker was also caught with medical drugs.
The hospital has three main gates and a foot path gate along Kamuzu Highway.
We have observed that the hospital has more than ten entrance points through various departments.
Principal Hospital Administrator for QECH, Chikumbutso Tambala, down played the issue saying that the administration is doing everything possible to tighten security.
He confirmed that two people who stole taps at Chatinkha ward were arrested a week ago.
“It’s not true that there are security lapses at this hospital. Everything is under control,” he said adding that the hospital has 92 guards from a hired company and over 30 guards who are permanent employees.
Spokesperson for Ministry of health, Adrian Chikumbe, said the ministry is aware of the issue.
“We even got a written complaint on the same which we are yet to act on,” he said.
Chikumbe said the ministry has been receiving other unofficial complaints from other hospitals on the same issues.
This is not the first time QECH has had issues of security lapses. The hospital has had incidents of bogus doctors getting in the hospital’s wards.
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