Francisco Palau Community Hospital, popularly known as Mtengowanthenga, in Dowa is one of this year’s recipients of the Infection Prevention, Control and Reproductive Health Service awards.
The health facility, run by the Catholic Church, is said to have achieved above 80 percent in the prescribed integrated infection prevention and control (IPC), reproductive health (RH) and prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT) practice areas.
Speaking at the shield presentation function last week, Ministry of Health nursing and midwifery services director Sheila Bandazi said the awards were instituted nationwide in 2002 and to date, 19 hospitals are proud holders of the shields.
Mtengowanthenga Hospital director Theonest Munyakungingo was all smiles as he received the awards, which he dedicated to his staff and the community.
Country director for Jhpiego, an affiliate institution of Johns Hopkins University, Catherine McKaig said: “The awards are a reminder to all that through coordination, most challenges facing the health sector can be arrested.”
The awards are coordinated by the Ministry of Health, Jhpiego and the Usaid-funded Support for Service Delivery Integration (SSDI) project. n
