Distance affects health service delivery in MH
People from Chapola Village in Traditional Authority (T/A) Chimwala in Mangochi have said they are dying from curable illinesses due to failure to reach health facilities in time.
The people have since appealed to government and development partners to come to their rescue by opening a health centre at Milonga, which is currently being used as an under-five clinic, to curb unnecessary deaths.
Speaking on Friday when Family Planning Association Malawi (Fpam) led a group of five non-governmental organisations it is working with under the Malawi Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights Alliance to a mobile outreach clinic, one of the community members Ajibul Nam’bweni complained that their right to health is not being met.
“The whole area does not have a health facility. We always need to go to Kukalanga Health Centre which is about 17 kilometres from here,” he said.
Nam’bweni said the problem is worse for people accessing antiretroviral (ARV) drugs.
“When their stock runs out, they are forced to find money to facilitate their transport,” he said.
In an interview, Mangochi District Hospital spokesperson Harold Kabuluzi acknowledged the problem being experienced by the people, especially those who are on antiretroviral therapy treatment (ART).
He said his office is currently collecting statistics of patients taking the ARVs to find out if they can be assisted within a specified place in their locality. n
