Foundation eases Mzuni health woes
Mzuzu University (Mzuni) health service woes have been eased by Richard Feilden Foundation in the United Kingdom who have constructed a new clinic.
The old facility could not cater for the growing student and staff population at the institution. The old structure was constructed at a time Mzuni had 1 500 students, but now there are 3 500 students and about 400 members of staff (academic and non-academic).
Speaking during the handover of the new structure on Wednesday, Mzuni Council chairperson Professor Brown Chimphamba said the institution is facing several challenges some of which are health-related.
He said the expansion of the clinic will help alleviate some of the challenges the university was facing in the health sector. The new structure is worth £20 000 (about K16 million).
Mzuni vice-chancellor Robert Ridley said with the growing student and staff population, it was hard for the university to effectively render health services from the old facility.
He said with the expansion of the clinic, the university will provide better services to the growing population. He commended the foundation for coming to the rescue of the university.
However, Ridley said the university plans to expand the clinic further to have patient wards and other facilities. He said the new structure gives room for expansion which would require an extra £30 000 (about K19 million)
Said Ridley: “Apart from rendering health services, we also want to utilise the clinic to train students pursuing health programmes.”
Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios architect, Jonathan Clements, who looked into the design and construction of the clinic said the foundation is committed to helping on health and education issues.
He said upon being requested by Mzuni Trust Fund to finance expansion of the clinic, the foundation felt duty-bound to alleviate problems the students and staff were facing.
Clements said the foundation was open to further discussion on financing expansion of the clinic in the near future.
