LCC rolls out mobile maternity clinic at Chinsapo
Lilongwe City Council (LCC) has rolled out mobile maternal and child health services targeting low income families living in and around Chinsapo I and II.
LCC deputy director of health Catherine Kunje said on Friday that the launch of mobile clinic is in response to a request from Chinsapo II Ward councillor Christopher Namakhwa.
Two weeks ago, Namakhwa asked Lilongwe District Health Office (DHO) and other players in the health sector to consider introducing mobile maternal and child health clinic services in the area.
He was speaking at a community sensitisation on midwifery campaign conducted by the White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood-Malawi (Wrasm) in partnership with National Initiative for Civic Education (Nice) Trust to influence government recognition of midwives, to encourage midwives to provide respectful maternity care (RMC) services, and also for communities to demand RMC.
The councillor said: “Much as people appreciate the importance of maternal and child health services, prohibitive charges at private hospitals and long distances to public health facilities are preventing women from accessing the services.”
Namakhwa said the distance from Chinsapo Ward to Bwaila Hospital is seven kilometres, which is a long distance for patients to walk.
In her remarks, Kunje said the council intervened to reduce challenges that expectant women face to access hospital care in the area.
“For a start, the clinics will be running once a week on Fridays. I urge the communities to patronise and utilise the clinic, which will be taking place at Makesha Health Centre,” she said.
One of the expectant mothers who attended the first mobile clinic, Christina Mhango, hailed the initiative, saying it will help reduce maternal and infant deaths in the area.
