Initiative seeks to pay back to hospitals
A newly-established advertising agency in the country, Ovation, has launched an initiative to promote under-five health care services at Queen Elizabeth and Kamuzu central hospitals.
Christened ‘Warm the heart’, the initiative is urging people born at the two referral hospitals to give back a minimum of K1 000 ($2) to be used in improving the children’s ward.
Ovation’s Chimwemwe Matonga said with a target of one million people for each hospital, the K1 billion ($1.8 million) expected to be raised in a scheduled 60 days will be used to address critical needs in the wards depending on what the hospital administration will discuss with a committee of the initiative’s ambassadors.
“We ask all people that care, even if they were not born at these hospitals, and their hearts are warm to respond and donate to the initiative. The corporate world is also invited to join the cause,” said Matonga.
“Their contribution will go a long way in making a difference and giving hope to that child and parent or guardian whose only best medical care facility could either be KCH or QECH. Please be assured that all funds raised through this initiative will go towards the intended beneficiaries.”
The initiative has since made special bandanas for a generation of children born at private hospitals to drive further participation and mobilisation of resources.
So far, the initiative has 175 ambassadors who are being led by different eminent people in society including Media Institute of Sothern Africa (Misa) Malawi chairperson Thom Khanje, musician Lawi and visual artists Elson Kambalu.
Ministry of Health chief of health services Charles Mwansambo said the ministry has since endorsed the ‘Warm the heart’ initiative since it aims at making a difference in the lives of many ordinary Malawians.
“KCH and QECH continue to face a lot of pressure with increased population of the patients that the two hospitals have to attend to. This has placed a huge pressure on the resources for running the two critical facilities that are a backbone for the nation.
“For a long time, we have been looking elsewhere than ourselves for resources to help run these medical facilities. This initiative brings in a new dimension as it seeks to raise resources locally and get Malawians involved and connected to the hospitals,” explained Mwansambo.
Matonga said to donate towards the initiative, people can use 0992561536 for Airtel Money, 0885385483TNM Mpamba and Standard Bank account 0140032016800.
He said Diaspora transfers can be made to foreign currency denominated accounts 0240032016800 for dollar, 0340032016800 for pound, 0640032016800 for rand and 7040032016800 for euro.
