Chitonzo pa matenda

Kutentha kwa mwezi wa November kwamufoola. Alibe nsapato kuphazi komabe akuyesetsa kudzikoka limodzi ndi mayi ake—a zaka 71—kuti akafike kuchipatala ngakhale miyendo yake yayamba kutupa.

Pathupi pa miyezi 9 pamene Martha Chilabade alinapo pasanduka chitonzo chifukwa akuyenera kuyenda makilomita 50 kuchokera m’mudzi mwawo kuti akakwere basi ulendo kuchipatala.

Izitu zikuchitika chifukwa chipatala cha m’dera lawo cha Namisu kwa T/A Phambala chidasiya kugwira ntchito mu 2007. Chipatalacho chidamangidwa ndi bungwe la World Vision ndipo chidaperekedwa kuboma kuti lichiyendetse mu 2005.

Pamene timakumana ndi Chilabade n’kuti atayenda makilomita 22 ulendo kuchipatalako. “Ndanyamuka kunyumba mbandakucha cha m’ma 3, ndikuyembekezera kukafika kwa Senzani cha m’ma 2 koloko madzulo, ndiye kuti pofika cha m’ma 5 koloko ndikhala ndafika kuchipatala cha Ntcheu,” adatero Chilabade.

Akumva ululu popita kuchipatala ndiponso akuyembekezera kukamvanso ululu wina pobereka. Kusikero sapitanso chifukwa cha mavutowo.

Amapanga geni yogulitsa mango, ndipo n’kovuta kuti apeze ndalama zolipirira njinga yamoto yomwe ikamusiye pasiteji ya Senzani komwe akakwere ulendo kuchipatala cha Ntcheu—mtunda winanso wotalika ndi makilomita 42.

Ulendo umodzi wokha ndi K4 200 akatenga njinga yamoto kuti ikamusiye pasiteji ya Senzani. Kutanthauza kuti anthu awiri amayenera akhale ndi K8 400 kupita kokha.

“Ndikufunikira ndalama yoposa K20 000 kupita ndi kubwera, nanga ndalama yokagwiritsira ntchito kuchipatalako?” adatero Chilabade yemwe adasiyidwa ukwati.

Poyamba, anthu aderalo amapulumukira kwa azamba koma lero sizingathekenso chifukwa mu 2007 boma lidaletsa azamba.

Moti boma libweretse yankho kumudziko, lero lasiya chipatala chomwe chidakawathandiza.

Mlembi wa chipatalacho, Ernest Guzani adati anthu am’mudzimo adaumba njerwa komanso kututa mchenga kuti boma likonzerenso chipatalacho koma sizidatheke.

Koma mkulu wa chipatala cha boma la Ntcheu, Mike Chisema adati atapitako kuderalo adabwerawo wokwiya kuona momwe anthu akuvutikira kuti apeze thandizo la chipatala.

“Ndayesera kukambirana ndi makampani kuti atithandize kumanganso chipatalacho koma zakanika. Ndizachisoni kuti mpaka lero anthu akuyenda mtunda wotalikawu kuti asake thandizo la chipatala,” adatero Chisema amene adati anthu oposera 5 000 akuvutika kuti apeze thandizo la chipatala.

Mtsogoleri wa bungwe la anamwino la National Organisation of Nurses and Midwives, Dorothy Ngoma adadzudzula atsogoleri a deralo kuti sakuyenera kulekerera pamene amayi akuthatha pofuna chipulumutso cha chipatala.

“Kodi kuderalo kuli phungu wa Nyumba ya Malamulo? Nanga khansala aliponso? Ndiye kuli mafumu komanso atsogoleri ena? Ndiye akuyang’anira kuti amayi azivutika choncho?” adadabwa Ngoma.

Komanso iye adati boma likuyenera kuwamangira anthuwo chipatala. “Anthu akumeneko amakhoma msonkho pamene akugula mchere, mafuta ngakhale sopo. Kodi ndalama za msonkho wawo zili kuti? Boma liwathandize anthuwa,” adatero.

Mkulu wa bungwe la Malawi Equity Health Network (Mhen) George Jobe adati pamene maso ali ku boma kuti anthuwo amangiridwe chipatala, pakuyenera pakhale njira zowathandizira anthuwo.

“Pakhale njira kuti anthuwo akuyenderedwa ndi thandizo la chipatala. Monga amayi oyembekezerawo akuyenera azikatengedwa pa ambulasi pamene akupita kuchipatala,” adatero Jobe.

Koma mneneri mu Unduna wa Zaumoyo, Joshua Malango adati boma lichitapo kanthu ndipo adati tilankhule ndi DC wa boma la Ntcheu amene amasule thumba la tambe.

DC wa bomalo, Smart Gwedemula adati ndi zoona kuti ayamba kuthamanga kuti anthuwo apumule.

“Ndi zoonadi kuti nkhaniyo itatipeza tidalankhulana ndi akuluakulu ndipo tatumiza nthumwi kuderalo kuti akafufuze momwe tingathandizire anthuwo,” adatero Lachinayi m’sabatayi polankhula naye pafoni.

Malinga ndi unduna wa zaumoyo, anthu odwala sayenera kuyenda mtunda oposera makilomita asanu kupita kuchipatala.

Naye phungu wa deralo, Damson Chimalira wa chipani cholamula cha DPP adati mavutowo akuwadziwa ndipo akuyesera kupeza thandizo kuti chipatalacho chimangidwenso.

Malinga ndi lipoti la Malawi Demographic Survey (MDS) lomwe lidatulutsidwa mu 2015-2016, lidati amayi 56 pa 100 alionse, amalephera kufikira chipatala chifukwa choti zipatala zili kutali ndi dera lawo.

Lipotilo lidati: “Amayi 86 mwa 100 alionse m’tauni amakachilira kuchipatala kusiyana ndi amayi 71 mwa 100 alionse okhala kumudzi.”