National News

MP pays for govt ambulance maintenance bill

Member of Parliament for Rumphi West Jacqueline Kowenhoven has come to the rescue of government by paying K1.6 million as maintenance bill for an ambulance that got grounded about two years ago.

The ambulance serves three health centres to refer patients to Rumphi District Hospital.

Jacqueline Kouwenhoven: I have decided to intervene
Jacqueline Kouwenhoven: I have decided to intervene

Speaking during the handover ceremony of the repaired ambulance to government on Friday, Kowenhoven said although what she did is not the duty of an MP, she decided to intervene because the absence of the ambulance was negatively affecting her constituents.

She blamed government for failing to utilise available resources to benefit the rural masses, saying “there is a lot of money in government, but it gets wasted without helping needy people”.

“It is high time government and citizens started fighting corruption. The spirit of corruption, which has spread to communities, is the reason Malawi is not developing and people continue to be denied of various public services,” said Kowenhoven.

Rumphi District Council management information systems officer Francis Puleni, who represented the district commissioner (DC) at the handover ceremony, said because of Cashgate (the plunder of public funds by individuals and companies) a number of government departments are underfunded, which halts their operations.

“Government needs partners who can help meet other operational costs as it is financially challenged,” said Puleni.

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