Mangochi, Malawi – The effort to bring long-overdue ambulance maintenance in Mangochi District into motion continues to face major setbacks, as highlighted by today’s unexpected series of events.
Arriving at Mangochi District Hospital at 2:00 PM, the team spearheading the push for action—led by Namadingo—was met with a wall of inaccessibility. Earlier attempts to reach the Director of Health Services around 11:00 AM went unanswered, both by phone and text. Upon arrival, the Director’s secretary informed the team that he had not shown up at the office all day and offered no further clarity, stating, “Lero lonse sindinalankhuleko nawo kunonso sanabweleko nde sindikudziwa kuti alikuti.” (“I haven’t spoken to him at all today; he hasn’t come in, so I don’t know where he is.”)
Attempts to meet the hospital administrator were equally fruitless. Despite arriving at 2:40 PM, the administrator was still reportedly “out for lunch,” raising eyebrows about the length of the break. When questioned, the secretary remarked vaguely, “Mwina adzela kwina.” (“Maybe he passed by somewhere else.”)
The District Medical Officer, another key figure, was also unavailable, said to be in Monkey Bay on a field assignment.
With none of the decision-makers available, Namadingo and his team have opted to extend their stay in Mangochi by an extra day in hopes of meeting with the officials tomorrow. This delay underscores the bureaucratic challenges hindering progress in resolving the long-standing issue of ambulances that have overstayed inoperable at the district hospital.
The situation reflects a broader concern over administrative responsiveness and accountability in the public health sector—an area Namadingo is determined to improve. Tomorrow’s meeting may prove pivotal in reigniting stalled efforts to restore life-saving ambulance services in the district.