Lilongwe DHO in need of ambulances

Lilongwe District director of health and social services Alinafe Mbewe Tambala has appealed for more ambulances for facilities to deliver services efficiently.

She said this on Friday when Lilongwe District Health Office (DHO) received an ambulance worth K12 million from K-Motors.

She said the district needs about 40 ambulances to cater for about 2.7 million people (in Lilongwe Urban and Rural, according to the 2018 Malawi Population and Housing Census), but it only has 20.

Said Tambala: “This shortage leaves us helpless, especially when there are many referral cases.

“The problem becomes serious when the referrals involve pregnant women with birth complications.”

The ambulance, which was allocated to Khongoni Health Centre, will also serve Malembo and Chilobwe facilities.

In his remarks, K-Motors chief executive officer Mansoor Karim said the donation was in response to President Lazarus Chakwera’s appeal for support.

He said this is the second ambulance the company has donated to a DHO.

“However, we have repaired old ambulances for Chikwawa DHO and we are repairing one for Mwanza DHO,” he said.

Presidential adviser on safe motherhood Dorothy Ngoma said the ambulance will save lives of mothers and babies.