Malawi Govt closes down health facility in Lilongwe after residents run amok
Government has closed indefinitely Area 25 Health Centre in Lilongwe following the violence that erupted on Monday when some residents of high-density area of Mgona vandalized the facility over the death of one of their own at the facility.
Health workers said on Tuesday they continued to receive threats from the people.
Medical personnel said the man had died of cholera, a version the residents did not believe on the premise that the person, in their view, was alright the previous day.
A visit to the health centre, found it closed and the authorities have told us that expectant women in the maternity ward had been transferred to Kamuzu Central and Bwaila hospitals.
All cholera patients have been discharged.
On Monday police officers battled with the residents which led to the injury of three police officers, burning of a police armoured vehicle and arrest of 10 people, according to a police report
The report says the armoured vehicle was burnt after it was stuck in the mad.
The residents pelted stones and blocked traffic with stones, tree branches and burned tyres, in an attempt to destroy the facility.
Kanengo Police officers used teargas to disperse the violent people who argue there is no cholera in the country, alleging it is only a way to kill people.
Hospital officials say a man who was brought by relatives died at the Out-Patients Department after a severe diarrhea and vomiting which was diagnosed as cholera, and expected relatives to collect the dead body this morning, only to see the violent people attempting to destroy the facility.
National Police spokesperson Peter Kalaya said the police beefed up the numbers of police officers to control the situation.
