Lafarge bails out Qech

Lafarge Cement Company yesterday handed over a K5 million (US$12 407) corporate social responsibility (CSR) project at the Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (QECH) in Blantyre with a pledge to continue supporting efforts aimed at improving health care, education and environmental protection.

The Anadkat-Wellcome Trust building at QECH had all along been operating without partitions, thereby removing the confidentiality of each patient waiting to be seen at the adult emergency trauma centre (AETC).

Lack of the partitions also created a ground for chaos in the hospital as health workers struggled to organise and control patients.

Speaking when he handed over the partitioned facility, Lafarge managing director Bruno Hounkpati said their positive response to the call confirms his company’s belief that providing better working environment for health workers is essential for achieving mutual respect for doctors and patients.

Hounkpati said Lafarge recognises the need to respect the ‘right to privacy’ of patients to facilitate free flow of information between a patient and a doctor.

“Patients deserve the right to privacy and implementing this right should start with a closed and better working environment where health professionals can consult their patients without losing part of their dignity in their suffering.

“The first person to help the healing process is the patient through provision of confidential and shameless information for the purpose,” he said.

Qech chief hospital administrator Themba Mhango hailed Lafarge for the gesture.

He said the project will go a long way in improving hygiene at the facility.

“This building was built in 1957 and served as an administration block before the Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Programme renovated it into a clinic through the generosity of Hiteshi Anadkat of FMB and the Wellcome Trust of the UK,” he said.