Ministry of Health says it will take at least three months for authorities to procure and install a diagnosis machine at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Blantyre.

According to principal ministry`s secretary responsible for administration Beston Chisamile, the old machine which had a 10-year lifespan, stopped functioning in 2018 and it was decommissioned.

He said: “We expect the machine to be at Queens by July or August, so let me assure members of general public the machine that is used for diagnosis will be available.”

Chisamile told Yoneco FM that currently the hospital is referring patients in need of the machine`s attention to either Kamuzu Central Hospital in Lilongwe or private hospital under government expense.

“But meanwhile, patients that require those services are referred to private hospitals like Mwaiwathu on which is an expense of government and other are being referred to Kamuzu Central Hospital,” said Chisamile.

However, commenting on the development, parliament through its Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has described the delay as both unfortunate and lack of seriousness on part of authorities.

“Our conclusion is that our officials from government are not serious, this machine was commissioned in 2008 and it had a lifespan of 10 years, which means by 2018 that machine could be used.

“What were these public officials doing? Sloppy decisions and actions by public officials, maybe there is what we call reluctance, disregard of duty or action, we don’t know,” said Shadric Namalomba, the committee’s chairperson.