A sole Clinical Officer at Ndaula health centre in Lilongwe, central Malawi, is on the run after communities threatened to kill him for taking and leaking pictures of a woman while giving birth.

The officer is said to have taken the photos using his mobile phone and then passed them to his friends and to a girlfriend who further forwarded the pictures to their several friends.

Being the sole health worker at the facility, the centre has since been closed but ministry of health spokesperson Mr. Henry Chimbali said another officer will be deployed soon.

He however said it was not true that the officer took and leaked pictures of a woman delivering, saying a professional health worker could not do such misconduct.

“It looks like the community is a bit apprehensive with the health worker. We always have difficulties with some communities but it is not true that he leaked pictures of a woman giving birth,” said Kumbali.

However, Martha Kwataine, Malawi’s vocal health rights activist condemned the decision and called for disciplinary action on the officer.

“How can he do such a thing? Women are entitled to their privacy. The ministry should not simply relocate him elsewhere. This person should appear before the disciplinary hearing and action be taken and not simply relocation,” said Kwataine.