By Tione Andsen
Lilongwe, Mana: Government has provision of better accommodation to country’s health facilities remains a challenge facing the health sector.
Minister of Natural Resources, Eisenhower Mkaka said Sunday during the handover of a K 26 million staff house at Matapila Health Centre with funding from Government Enabled Service Delivery (GESD) project implemented with funding from World Bank through the National Local Government Finance Committee (NLGFC).
He said provision of better accommodation to medical staff motivates them to develop a hard working spirit which propels them to provide better services to the people.
Mkaka who is also Member of Parliament (MP) for Lilongwe Mpenu commended traditional leaders in the area for providing supporting during the construction of the staff house.
He said the health facility need to be well equipped owning to the fact that it serves a large catchment area.
Mkaka told the gathering that this was the start of constructing staff houses saying the facility authority had requested five new houses.
He viewed that the modern house has three bedrooms, sitting room and kitchen, bathroom and a toilet.
“This health facility needs to be taken care since many communities rely on it. The next health facility where people can access services in the area is Nkhoma hospital which a paying facility was many will not afford,” the MP stated.
Chairperson for Matapila Health Advisory Committee (HAC), Patrick Chipwa said the construction of the house would help to have additional staff members to serve the health facility.
He thanked the MP of the area for providing 50 blankets to used by patients at the health facility and has provide relief to those that are admitted without proper beddings.
“We would like to remind that the community was promised that an ambulance during the launch of the construction of the house but until now it has not being delivered. We need it so much in order to ease the transport challenges the facility was facing,” Chipwa said.
He said the committee believes that the health facility requires additional eight to nine staff houses for it to be well staffed.
The Chair said the facility was facing transportation problems when patients are referred to Kamuzu Central Hospital (KCH) as patients are usually asked to find their own transport.
Councillor for Nkuza Ward, Lefani Zikabuma said the construction of the staff house has resolved some of the development challenges the area was facing particularly in the health sector.
He said the facility authority need to take care of the house in order to serve the staff better.
Malawi Congress Party (MCP) District Chairperson for Lilongwe, Leonard Mwase noted that it was pleasing to note that government was implementing development projects which were promised during the campaign period.
He urged the MP of the area to continue sourcing funds in order to implementing various development projects within the constituency.
