Kachere Rehabilitation Centre in need of support

Authorities at Kachere Rehabilitation Centre (KRC) in Blantyre are appealing to more companies and organisations to support the centre financially to enable it to buy medical equipment and also carry out extensions so as to accommodate more patients.

In an interview on Thursday, KRC chief executive officer Sydney Ndembe said the number of patients seeking help from Malawi’s only free in-patient rehabilitation facility have multiplied due to disabling conditions such as road and industrial accidents, gender-based violence and attacks from thugs.

Said Ndembe: “We are only able to accommodate 40 in-patients, some are assisted as out-patients while others are forced to wait in other hospitals or at home until room is available, but this has led to patients developing complications and in worst cases, death.”

He said the centre receives about K10 million a month from government against its K20 million budget.

Ndembe said the centre has received assistance from Rotary Club Limbe, Medical Aid Society of Malawi, Nico Asset Managers, Malawi Gaming Board and TNM, just to mention a few.

KRC board member Abdul Aziz Yassin said for five years now, the centre has not carried out its outreach programme, which involves issuing mobility appliances as well as treatment to patients in their communities.

“We, therefore, need funds for this programme so that we can follow up on our patients, provide them further psychological support, provide them with mobility appliances,” said Yassin.

Opened in 1995, KRC has helped hundreds in comprehensive medical rehabilitation services, occupational therapy and speech therapy. n