Hospital drivers threaten sit-in strike if forced to drive unroadworthy vehicles

Government drivers at Phalombe district hospital have threatened a sit in if hospital administrators continue to force them to drive unroadworthy vehicles which include ambulances.

One of the drivers said most government vehicles at the hospital, which include ambulances and the official vehicle of the district health officer (DHO) have no valid insurance documents to allow them ply the roads.

“When the police fine us, the hospital does not pay the penalties, it is us the drivers, this is painful because we do not get enough money at the end of the month,” said the driver.

He said an ambulance was involved in an accident after ferrying a patient to Zomba for referral treatment and as expected, traffic police demanded insurance documents but the ambulance did not have and the driver paid the fine.

Hospital spokesperson Daniel Chiromo conceded most government vehicles do not have valid road documents but said the hospital administration was working on having them.

“We will have them very soon,” he said.

Apart from ambulances, most police vehicles in the country ply the roads without valid documents and sometimes the police allow unroadworthy police vehicles hit the roads.

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