By Chisomo Phiri
Renowned medical doctor Hagai Magai has raised serious concerns over a controversial executive order targeting health workers, warning that its implementation could lead to chaos in the health system.
In a Facebook post, Magai describes the order as ‘unreasonable and practically impossible to implement’, saying it appears to have been made either out of emotion or as a purely political maneuver.
“It may already be part of a plan that will be reversed within weeks,” he says.
According to Magai, an injunction is likely within the next two weeks.
“It may not actually come from doctors, but it will be presented as such to save face. The injunction will pass, and it will not be challenged.The political score has already been bagged,” he predicts.
The medical doctor highlights the crucial role of consultants in Malawi’s hospitals.
“Almost 95 percent of consultants work in private clinics. If they are all fired, who will remain in hospitals to care for patients needing consultant-level expertise?,” he asks.
He warns of serious consequences if the order is enforced.
“Chaos would ensue, followed by claims of unfair dismissal. Doctors would likely win these cases, resulting in massive compensation payouts. Ultimately, the government would have no option but to rehire the same consultants it fired, because hospitals cannot operate without them unless patients are sent abroad or treated privately,” he says.
Magai notes that the order could only be realistically applied at the level of medical officers, not consultants.
He however says, targeting only one group would be unfair and impractical.
“This executive order appears to be purely a political score.Unless you understand how the health system operates and the vital role of consultants, you cannot appreciate the consequences. Removing consultants would be catastrophic,” he says.
He paints a stark picture of the human cost.
“A woman bleeding after delivery needing a hysterectomy, a man with twisted intestines, or a child with a broken leg — where would they go? The only way this could work is if the number of consultants in private practice were minimal. People who think this order makes sense simply do not understand how the health system functions,” he says.
Magai concludes that, without proper planning, enforcing the order would be a suicide mission for the hospitals and the patients who depend on them.
President Arthur Peter Mutharika made the executive older on Tuesday February 17 , 2026, in reaction to a recent joint media investigation by several news outlets which exposed a corruption syndicate operating in some public health facilities.
The investigation revealed that certain health workers have been soliciting money from patients seeking services that are legally supposed to be free, raising public outrage and concern over accountability in the sector.
