13 health workers disciplined over misconduct

Patients seeking quality healthcare could benefit after the Medical Council of Malawi ( MCM) took disciplinary action against 13 health practitioners found guilty of breaching professional standards.

MCM has fined and sanctioned 13 health practitioners and health facility managers after disciplinary proceedings involving 21 cases of alleged professional misconduct. The council found the practitioners guilty of various offences following investigations.

The penalties include written warnings, mandatory ethics and professionalism training, fines ranging from 30 to 50 percent of investigation costs, internship extensions, reimbursement to a complainant, referrals to relevant regulatory bodies and directives to strengthen record management, informed consent procedures and patient safety systems.

In a statement signed by the Council’s Registrar and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Davie Zolowere, the MCM said those found guilty include medical practitioners, clinical officers, nurses, an anesthetist, an intern clinical officer, a medical assistant, a laboratory technician and health facility managers.

The offences included failure to obtain informed consent, poor record management, unsafe prescribing and administration of medicines, practicing beyond professional scope, unauthorized sale of medicines, failure to follow patient safety protocols, inadequate patient monitoring, and the submission and approval of falsified internship reports.

The Council said the disciplinary measures are aimed at reinforcing professional accountability and improving the quality of healthcare services in the country.

Reacting to the development, public health expert Benjamin Chinoko described the disciplinary action as an important step towards strengthening accountability in the health sector but cautioned that the cases highlight gaps that could compromise patient safety.

“The statistics of negligent health workers are alarming. They pose a significant risk to the quality of care that patients receive because healthcare is built on trust between patients and providers,” Chinoko said.

He said failure to obtain informed consent denies patients the right to make informed decisions about their treatment, while poor record keeping undermines continuity of care and limits opportunities for clinical audits and service improvement.

Chinoko further warned that unsafe prescribing and administration of medicines could lead to preventable complications and even deaths if left unchecked.

While describing the penalties imposed by the Council as adequate, he stressed that they should be accompanied by consistent enforcement.

“The penalties are sufficient to deter professional misconduct. What is important is to sustain these efforts through continuous monitoring and taking disciplinary action whenever misconduct is proven,” he said.

He also called for stronger enforcement of healthcare regulations, continuous professional development for health workers and strengthened institutional integrity and quality improvement systems to promote ethical practice and safeguard patient safety.