Mangochi Health Worker Found Dead in Lodge

By Kondwani Magombo

Mangochi, September 5, Mana: Facility In-charge for Makanjira Health Centre, Thomas Kasambwe was Thursday morning found dead in a room at a lodge in Mangochi, police and Mangochi District Hospital confirmed on Friday.

Kasambwe, who was a Medical Assistant, died due to intracranial haemorrhage (bleeding in the brain), according to Mangochi Police Station Deputy Public Relations Officer, Sub-Inspector Amina Tepani-Daudi.

Daudi said Kasambwe, 30, booked a room at Jazaka Lodge on Wednesday evening upon his return from his home village in Thyolo, and that he went drinking before returning alone in the early hours to sleep.

On Thursday, the door to Kasambwe’s room remained locked from inside up to 11 am, prompting the lodge’s cleaner to report the matter to the manager.

According to Daudi, the team used a master key and found Kasambwe dead in a pool of blood oozing from the nose.

“The matter was reported to Mangochi Police Station and officers rushed to the scene where they found the body, an intact packed meal, sealed bottles of alcohol and two Viagra tablets in the pockets of the deceased,” said Daudi.

Daudi further said postmortem conducted at Mangochi District Hospital revealed that death was due to intracranial haemorrhage.

Mangochi District Director for Health and Social Services (DHSS), Dr. Henry Chibowa has since described Kasambwe’s demise as a great loss to the health sector in the district.

“Mangochi District Health Office family is greatly saddened by such an untimely death of our dear brother,” wrote Chibowa on his notice to the District Executive Committee (DEC) through a social forum.

“Kasambwe was a bright and jovial soul, one of the hardest working medical assistants in the district. Our prayers go out to his family. May his soul rest in eternal peace,” he said.

The deceased Kasambwe hailed from Jamison Village in Traditional Authority Khwethemule in Thyolo.