Minister of Health, Madalitso Baloyi, spent Wednesday night working alongside midwives at Mangochi District Hospital's maternity wing, in a visit aimed at gaining first-hand insight into the challenges facing the facility.

The visit follows concerns raised in Parliament by Mangochi Municipal MP Rodrick Chiwaya, who described a maternity section grappling with staff shortages, limited bed space and the absence of a guardian shelter.

Dressed in nurse-midwife attire, Baloyi said she wanted to personally experience the working environment endured by staff, as well as conditions faced by patients and guardians using the facility.

"I want to take time, work alongside the midwives over the night shift. I am here till morning.

"I want to see first-hand what are the challenges that the health workers are facing as they are trying to deliver quality service for expectant mothers and also newly born babies," Baloyi said.

According to Olive Ngwira, senior nursing officer at Mangochi District Hospital, the maternity section handles around 50 deliveries a day.

She said the section currently has 110 midwives covering eight departments, well short of the 300 the facility actually requires.

The labour ward alone, Ngwira said, has 28 midwives working in shifts of six, covering both day and night -- against an estimated need of around 40 midwives for that ward.