Press's MK25 million donation condemned

Professor Mathews Chikaonda, Press Corporation Chief Executive Officer whose MK25 million donation to a commercial hospital is being questioned.

By Emmanuel Sobilika

Professor Mathews Chikaonda, the Chief Executive Officer for one of Malawi’s leading conglomerate organizations, Press Corporations Limited has come under serious scrutiny following a donation of MK25 million worth dialysis machine to a lucrative healthy facility, the Mwaiwathu Private Hospital.

Mwaiwathu Private Hospital is situated in the commercial city, Blantyre and because of its higher service charges; the facility only offers help to patients who can be described as of ‘higher status’ by Malawian standards.

Chikaonda, made the donation to Mwaiwathu Private Hospital at the end of August on the pretext of ‘corporate social responsibility’ to the Malawi public.

However, Mwaiwathu Hospital is high class private hospital not accessed by an ordinary local Malawian.

Sources in the Press Corporation have disclosed that using his powers as CEO for the conglomerate, Chikaonda coxed some of the organization’s subsidiaries to contribute towards this multi-million Kwacha donation.

The companies that contributed to the MK25 million donation are National Bank of Malawi Limited, MK10 million, Limbe Leaf Malawi Limited MK6 million, Telecom Networks Malawi Limited MK4 million and the mother body Press Corporations Limited MK5million.

By virtual of his position as CEO for Press Corporation, Chikaonda is board chairperson for all the above mentioned companies.

Malawi Digest has also established that Press Corporations Limited is one of the majority shareholders for Mwaiwathu Private Hospital and that Professor Mathews Chikaonda is one of its directors.

As one of the directors for the hospital, Chikaonda has financial benefits from the hospital and an economist interviewed by Malawi Digest suggests that the Press Corporation CEO would make everything possible to make sure that business is viable at the commercial medical facility, hence the donation.

Making the donation at the hospital premises in Blantyre, Chikaonda said that the availability of the dialysis machine at the hospital would save the country’s forex reserves as many people are sent outside the country to seek medical help due to absence of the dialysis machine.

It is a fact that only well to do people go outside Malawi to seek medical help unless sponsored.

Malawi has only one dialysis machine at the Kamuzu Central Hospital in the administrative capital, Lilongwe and a lot of people have suggested if a similar facility was made available at the country’s biggest referral hospital, the Queen Elizabeth Central in Blantyre, would help many Malawians who suffering and dying in silence due to lack of the facility.

Speaking in an interview with Malawi Digest on Monday afternoon, two prominent Malawian economists questioned the underlying principle for Press Corporation to donate such huge sums of money to a commercial business entity that does not serve interests of a local poor Malawian.

“If this donation was made to a free public facility like the Queens, this would have gone a long way in serving the poor Malawian who is dying in silence due to lack of the machines in the country,” said one economist who did not want to be mentioned.

He said Press Corporation and the other three organizations involved in the donation have no proper basis for such a huge donation to a commercial hospital where there is also suspicion of conflict of interest.

“It may be concluded that Professor Chikaonda influenced the other companies to donate to Mwaiwathu for his personal gains as he is also one of the directors for the hospital,” he said.

The other economist concurred that apart from serving what he described as ‘people with status’ in Malawian society, Mwaiwathu Hospital also serves patients from southern Africa.

“So what is there for a Malawian if the hospital also serves patients from Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Zambia among many other counties on commercial basis,” he wondered.

According to information gathered by Malawi Digest after a Google search on the internet, the Medical Aid Society of Malawi (Masm) who are also shareholders in Mwaiwathu Hospital, they describe the facility as the most expensive in Malawi.

“State-of-the-art Mwaiwathu Hospital is probably one of the country’s most expensive hospitals. Yet over half the patients at the hospital do not pay for consultation and only have to pay 20 percent or less of the rest of bill,” says Masm in a marketing message for its services on its website after the search.

Another search engine provides the following information for Mwaiwathu Hospital: “The 64-bed Mwaiwathu Private Hospital in Blantyre provides some of the best medical treatment in the country, but is too expensive for all but the wealthiest businessmen and highest ranking government officials.”

With all these attributes from information gathered through a search on the internet, it is not known why Professor Mathews Chikaonda opted to spend MK25 million on Mwaiwathu Private Hospital and not a public hospital like Queen Elizabeth Central where the facility is open to the poor local Malawian.

Meanwhile, Malawi Digest understands that Press Corporation Limited operates under a Press Trust Deed, the Press Trust.

The company’s website explains the following: “Press Trust is a trust governed by the trustees, who determine the form and quantum of contributions Press Trust will make towards the development and betterment of Malawi. The object of the Press Trust is to act on behalf of the citizens of Malawi.”

It is not known if in making the MK25 donation to a commercial entity like Mwaiwathu Private Hospital, Professor Mathews Chikaonda considered the role of the Press Trust in Malawi and if this private hospital follows in that category-Malawi Digest.