Malawi lawmaker donates ambulance to health centre

LILONGWE, Malawi— Francis Belekanyama, a member of parliament for the Malawi Congress Party, donated an ambulance worth 5 million kwacha ($6,000) to Dickson Health Centre in Lilongwe on Monday.

Belekanyama said he made the donation to ease the mobility challenges for referrals from the health centre, which serves about 30,000 people in the area of Traditional Authority Masula.

“One of my priorities is to ensure people access health services without challenges,” he said in an interview.

He added that the lack of a residential ambulance had led to many preventable deaths as it used to take a long time to transport patients to the district hospital.

“This donation is a fulfillment of the promise I made during the campaign,” he said.

Lameck Simkoko, the officer-in-charge of Dickson Health Centre, commended Belekanyama for the donation, saying it will go a long way in reducing the referral load the facility has been facing in the past.

Senior Group Dickson, a local leader, also hailed the lawmaker for the support and pledged to ensure that the ambulance is used for its intended purposes.

Belekanyama also donated an ambulance to Chiunjiza health centre in his constituency.