By Kondanani Chilimunthaka
President Lazarus Chakwera has hit strongly on the drug theft that has dominated public health facilities in the country, saying time has come to end the vice by punishing all those found to be involved in the tendency.
Speaking to thousands of Malawians who gathered at Tembwe Primary School ground on Tuesday, May 17,2022, President Chakwera sado his recent meeting with the Central Medical Stores Trust officials has revealed that in some government health facilities, there is theft of drugs ending up having shortage of the much needed drugs in these public health facilities.
“Two day ago in was meeting Board chairperson for Central Medical Stores Trust, I also invited the c
chief Executive Officer for the Trust so that they explain how they execute their duties. What they told me is that the drugs are being procured but once these drugs have reached our public health facilities, they are being abused, and misused though theft by being channeled in other ways.
I have therefore directed for proper investigation into the matter so that once evidence is found, we must end this behaviour.” Said President Chakwera while encouraging all Malawians to love their country at the expense of their personal needs and gains.
President Chakwera who in the day visited the Maize Silos at Kanengo under the National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA) and Tembwe Admarc Warehouse in Mchinji to appreciate the storage facilities after a successful crop inspection tour across the country, told the nation that what he has seen at Kanengo and Tembwe in Lilongwe and Mchinji respectively is impressive as far as maize storage is concerned, though eighth of the Silos at Kanengo need to be renovated before being put back into use, adding that as a nation, Malawi has enough food as its silos still have some grain from the previous farming season regardless that the season currently underway some farmers will not harvest enough.
While admitting that the country is going through challenges, President Chakwera said his administration is doing everything possible to address them and let the citizens live happily, saying soon Malawians in the rural areas will benefit from many developmental projects, including those of Mchinji district.
President Chakwera then told the people of Mchinji that his administration is aware of the importance of good roads network in relation to farming, hence the partnership with the Millennium Challenge to assist the country in construction and grading of rural roads for easy transportation of farm produce.
In his speech, Malawi leader also said; the introduction of clubs and cooperatives in accessing AIP will help in checking the problem of mismanagement of the inputs and abuse of the program.
On economic recovery, President Chakwera told the nation that his recent meeting with International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director, Ms. Kristalina Georgieva has given him confidence that the country’s economy will soon be on track, saying the IMF is aware of how the previous administration plundered and destroyed the country’s economy by cheating on both Malawians and the organization, hence IMF officials trip next week to discuss the way out.
President Chakwera has since promised people of Mchinji that the administration will make sure that electricity under the MAREP project, water projects, health facilities, and many other projects are implemented in the district.
