Parliament health committee tours Salima

Conditions of hospitals services at Khombedza and Chitala Health Centres in Salima shocked a delegation from the health committee of Parliament that visited the district last week Thursday.

The delegation, which included chairperson, Dedza Central member of Parliament (MP) Juliana Lunguzi (Malawi Congress Party-MCP), her deputy, Mulanje Bale MP Vincent Musowa (Independent), and Nsanje Lalanje MP, Sam Ganda (Independent among others, was funded by the Health Policy Project.

At Chitala Health Centre, the delegation found that the facility, which is under the Catholic Church, has had no water since February and that since Christian Health Association of Malawi (Cham) terminated its partnership with government, patients now have to pay for services.

At Khombedza, the delegation discovered that the facility caters for a population 59 000, but only has two medical doctors and three nurses.

Lunguzi has since promised to lobby government to turn Khombedza into a rural hospital, increase infrastructure and medical staff.

“It is a sad to see the congestion here against the medical staff at hand. Government has to intervene immediately. We will definitely table this issue,” said Lunguzi.