Dated the 3rd day of March, 2026
The Anti-Corruption Bureau has taken note of the growing public concern over corruption affecting Ministry of Health, and in particular Public Hospitals. Section 10 of the Corrupt Practices Act mandates the Bureau to take any necessary measures for the prevention of corruption. Cognizant of the political will already expressed by the State President through Executive Order No. 1 of 2026 and other efforts by government, the Bureau wishes to advise the public that it has taken the following measures:
1. A Call for a Collective Effort in the Fight Against Corruption and Unethical Conduct for Health Personnel: the Bureau has advised the Ministry of Health to urgently call for a meeting of all concerned stakeholders to brainstorm and establish a common front in the fight against corruption and unethical conduct for Health Personnel. The stakeholders include: Medical Council of Malawi, Nurses and Midwives Council of Malawi, Pharmacy and Medicine Regulatory Authority, Malawi Human Rights Commission, the Office of the Ombudsman and District Councils.
2. Enhance Institutional Integrity Committees (IIC): In accordance with the National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS) II, IICs are channels for streamlining the fight against corruption, and the Bureau recognizes that corruption is well fought if it is an inward driven process. The Bureau therefore, directs that all IICs in Central Hospitals and District Councils that manage District Hospitals should undertake corruption risk assessments, ethics and integrity trainings to their staff members, and put in place specific client service charters with well established internal patient/guardian feedback mechanisms within six months after this notice.
3. Digitization of Systems: The Bureau completely believes that digitization is key in improving efficiency, fairness, reducing favouristim and bribery. The fact that digitization is used by a number of private hospitals in Malawi, clearly shows that it can be replicated in government hospitals. The Bureau therefore recommends to Ministry of Health to consider exploring ways of digitizing
service delivery in all public hospitals as a matter of urgency. This will also be an aspiration that is in accordance with the current directive by the Malawi Government.
4. Reforms for Paying Services and Wings in Central Hospitals: The Bureau also notes that reforms that were initiated in almost all Central Hospitals and some district hospitals to having formal paying services and wings, constitute the best way forward in providing alternative services. If such services proceed with proper mechanisms and systems, they will contribute towards reducing the likelihood of people bribing their way out to get certain services but rather pay government and equally get the desired services. The Bureau therefore recommends to Ministry of Health to consider enhancing these reforms in all public Hospitals as a matter of urgency.
5. Flashing out Middlemen (DOBADOBA) Interventions: The Bureau notes that public hospitals are currently flooded with internal and external DOBADOBAS who disguise themselves as doctors, nurses or any other personnel working in the facilities. The Bureau therefore recommends to Ministry of Health to come up with proper mechanisms to enable patients and guardians properly identify Health Personnel. These mechanisms may include mandatory use of name tags, uniforms and proper display of scheduled names of Health Personnel on duty in a particular day.
6. Regular monitoring of health service delivery in all central hospitals: The Bureau would like to advise the general public that it will embark on regular monitoring of service delivery in all public hospitals, and these will include surveillance operations, spot checks; and physical process mappings and will deal with every person demanding bribes from patients in accordance with the law.
The Bureau invites the general public and partner organizations to join forces with us in combating corruption in public hospitals by providing necessary support, and reporting any corrupt practices and unethical behaviour using the Bureau’s toll free line 113, or government’s toll free line 332.
For more information, contact the Bureau’s Senior Public Relations Officer, Jacqueline Ngongonda on +265 886 829 492
GABRIEL GIFT CHEMBEZI
ACTING DIRECTOR GENERAL
