Dedza District Council Allocates K181.8 Million for Completion of Abandoned Health Post

DEDZA, Malawi — Group Village Head Chimkombero from Traditional Authority Kamenyagwaza in Dedza has applauded Dedza District Council for allocating K181.8 million towards the completion of Chimkombero Health Post which was abandoned 20 years ago, writes Blackson Mkupatira, MANA.

Once complete, the facility will cut short the distance that sick people and pregnant women from his area travel when they seek medical attention.

"The closest hospital from here is at the Boma, which is 12 kilometres away. That is why we have been fighting for this development since 1998, but up to now, it has never been completed. Let me ask the council to be serious this time around because we are losing a lot of people due to curable diseases and birth complications," said Group Village Head Chimkombero in an interview with Malawi News Agency (Mana) during a supervision visit.

Lydia Philiyasi, a community member, said the lack of a maternity wing in the area has put the lives of expectant mothers and their unborn babies at risk and taken away the dignity of women in general.

"We use motorcycles, and we pay K8,000 to go to the hospital during the day and K12,000 during the night," Philiyasi said.

Henry Mwamvani, Dedza District Council Director of Public Works, said it was unfortunate that the people of Chimkombero have waited for so long since the dispensary was first constructed without benefiting from it.

He, however, assured them that this time around, the council will complete the facility so that it can begin providing health services to the people.

"We are constructing two modern staff houses, completing a maternity wing that was started years ago, and upgrading the dispensary building that was constructed 20 years ago to a full health centre," said Mwamvani, adding that most of the work has already been done.

The project is being funded by the World Bank under the Government to Enable Service Delivery (GESD) and started on October 27, 2022.

It was expected to be completed in February 2023 but was delayed due to bad weather and technical procedures.