Malawi: Minister of health Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda has announced that the government is committed to ensuring access to health services to all Malawians. They are bringing essential health facilities and services near to the people.
She made the remarks Friday at MwangalaMwangala in Dowa. At the time, she was presiding over the official opening of Mwangala health center. The health center has been constructed by Dowa district council under Health Rehabilitation Funds of Malawi.
Chiponda said the government is working on providing good health services to the people. They want to make sure the people are free from diseases and can support the development of the country.
“Under Sustainable Development Goals number three, it talks of everyone having access to good health and well being, and we are supposed to achieve that by the year 2030.
“But also, most importantly, our president is championing the Malawi 2063 vision. And for that to materialize, we need Malawians who have good health, are able to work, are economically viable, and that can only happen if we are able to give them health services when they are sick,” said Chiponda.
The facility will provide general medical and maternal servicesmaternal services to the people. They will have access to safe motherhood, vaccines, cervical cancer screening, promoting health and encourage preventive health services amongst the 25000 people within the catchment.
Previously, the people had to travel to Dowa hospital for treatment. This was the only hospital in the vicinity of many communities. But now the health facility will bring health access closer to people. The construction will also decongest the referral hospital.
“The president is stressing that we should not walk more than five kilometers to get to a medical facility, that is our goal. That is why you see us almost every week opening centers as well as health posts across the country,” she said.
Under the Health Rehabilitation Funds, the district was allocated around MK2.9 billion which has been used to construct new and rehabilitate structures at Nalunga, Dowa hospital and Mwangala.
Senior Chief Nsakambewa also spoke on the launch.
“We have had bad experiences due to lack of a proper health facilityhealth facility. But this ends now with this new hospital, which not only serves people from Dowa, but also some parts of Ntchisi,”he said.