Petroleum Importers Limited Donates Solar Pump to Mpamantha Health Centre

Malawi-Mpamantha Health Centre in Nkhotakota, Malawi, received a timely donation from Petroleum Importers Limited, a consortium of four companies, which include Vivo of Engen filling stations, Total, Puma, and Petroda, writes Alinafe Nyanda.

The donation, a solar-powered water pump, is expected to help the health facility cope with water shortages and fight cholera outbreaks in the process.

The solar-powered water pump is also expected to help the hospital access clean and portable water to enhance efforts to promote health, hygiene, and sanitation in the district.

Thokozani Tambulasi, the in-charge of the health centre, described the donation as a timely gift since the facility has been experiencing water constraints after its solar-powered pump was stolen some ten months ago.

“While appreciating the timely gift, the facility is still facing a lot of challenges, which include a lack of guardian shelter, a kitchen, and insufficient washrooms, just to mention a few. We are urging well-wishers and other stakeholders to emulate what Petroleum Importers Limited has done to the community,” Tambulasi said.

Charity Gwaliko, the chairperson of the health centre's advisory committee, stated that after the pump was stolen, women were forced to buy water from a long distance, which was very concerning.

She said the restored water solar pump would ease water problems the health centre has been facing due to the lack of a water pump.

She hailed Petroleum Importers Limited for the donation, as they have been struggling to find clean water for a while.

Kambani Chiyera, the Finance and Administration Manager of Petroleum Importers Limited, said the donation to assist the hospital was in line with the company’s corporate social responsibility policy.

"The health sector is one of the sectors that we are investing our money in because we realize that only healthy people can contribute positively to the socio-economic development of this country. We believe that the restored pump will go a long way in the fight against cholera and other diseases among clients and health workers as they will now have easy access to clean and healthy water,” said Chiyera.

Group village headman Kaulungu from Mpamantha strongly warned the community against vandalism of the properties on the facility, as almost twenty-two thousand people rely on the health centre for medical treatment in Nkhotakota.

The chief said the installation of the water pump has also brought a sigh of relief as an erratic water supply was the order of the day at the facility.

The MK3 million solar pump donation will greatly benefit the people who rely on the health centre for their medical needs, and it is hoped that more companies and well-wishers will emulate Petroleum Importers Limited in assisting the community.