The Medical Council of Malawi has disciplined eight medical practitioners and four private hospitals for various disciplinary offenses.

Among the eight, Dr Enerlin Maranan Istwing, an obstetrician and Gynecologist at Blantyre Adventist Hospital has been suspended for negligence and failure to manage a pregnant patient’s medical condition appropriately.

Mr Geoffrey Mwalabu, an anaesthesia clinical officer and Dr Kondwani Manda, an Orthopedic Surgeon have been given a warning for refusing to provide anaesthesia to a patient and non-adherence to referral protocol and failing to profile a patient adequately preoperatively respectively.

The four private hospitals under discipline are Blantyre Adventist Hospital, Mwaiwathu Private Hospital, Lilongwe Adventist Hospital and Our Lady of Mt Carmel, Kapiri Community Hospital.

MCM registrar and chief executive officer Davie Zolowere justified the move saying it is in line with the Medical Practitioners and Dentists Act number 17 of 1987.

He said out of 13 cases heard during this hearing, three had not guilty verdicts, 8 (61%) had guilty verdicts, one was referred to the Nurses and Midwives Council, and another one was referred to the Labor court.

This year alone, the Council has concluded 31 disciplinary case.

Source:NPL