Date Of Article: 4/5/2002
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College sends home 8 medical students
By: Joseph Langa
The Malawi College of Medicine has sent back seven government medical officers and another from Blantyre Adventist Hospital, all undergoing a one-year premedical science programme at the college because the Ministry of Health has failed to pay their fees totalling K212,000 per year per person. The seven, who until March 25 were clinical officers and dental therapists in Machinga, Mchinji, Mzuzu hospitals, Queen Elizabeth and Lilongwe Central Hospitals, have been ordered to leave the campus by noon today to look for a K42,000 instalment each or risk losing their places permanently. Speaking at a press conference organised for them by the Civil Liberties committee yesterday, the students said they started the programme on condition that their employers, Ministry of Health would sponsor them. “The ministry advised us to apply for funding which we did. But the training officer for the ministry, a Mr. Kalikokha told us yesterday that the ministry has no money to pay for us,” the students spokesperson, Emanuel Kalengo said. Kalengo appealed to financial institutions and the public to give them loans to pay the fees saying they cannot find the money even if they were given one month to raise the money. “Although the college says we can pay the fees in five instalments of K42,000 each we still can’t find such a huge some of money with our meagre salaries. We are relying on the public to help us otherwise we are likely to lose our places,” he said He argued that even if the students were to raise money for the first instalments, they would still need sponsorship because they cannot raise the money in the 10 months from March to December this year that the programme will be conducted. Cilic executive director, Emmie Chanika, described the development as unfair and segregative to the poor. “As Cilic, we think this is very unfair. We called for the press conference to inform the government and the nation as a whole about the unfortunate situation. “Government has always assured the civil society that no one will be denied education because of poverty,” she said. Chanika joined the students in appealing for loans for the students saying they would help to improve the current shortage of medical staff in the country.
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