The guards at the waiting room at Karonga District Hospital have asked hospital officials to sanitize the premises to kill bedbugs that are causing them sleepless nights.
According to one of the guards, Matrida Nyungwe, hygiene and hygiene in the shelter are compromised.
Nyumgwe also complained about the lack of electricity, poor toilets and compromised security due to the lack of fences.
Guardian House Chairman Joseph Sinkhonde confirmed that the district’s five MPs and ten councilors urgently need to work together to make the shelter habitable, saying it serves guardians of patients from Songwe to Zgeba in the district. He urged parliamentarians to use the District Development Fund (DDF) to work on the challenges.
However, Karonga District Hospital Administrator Clement Gonthi said that the responsibility for fencing and installing electricity in the shelter is in the hands of the council.
Gonthi has since promised to get rid of the bedbugs, saying that they are currently in the process of sourcing chemicals for them. He went on to say that the closing of the small gate was done to restrict entry due to Covid-19 and prevent cows from entering the hospital grounds.
In a separate interview, Steven Simsokwe, chairman of the Karonga District Council, said plans to fence and electrify the facility were underway as they expect the Chair of the Service Committee on Health Council, Isaac Kalambo, to bring the matter up during their deliberations on the full council .
