District Health Officer for Mzimba North, Khumbo Shumba, has asked government to construct at least three health centres in Mzuzu to ease pressure on Mzuzu Health Centre and the Mzuzu Central Hospital.
Shumba said this when Minister of Information, Tourism and Civic Education Jappie Mhango inspected construction work for a K25 million Zolozolo clinic in Mzuzu City which is funded by the Gaming Board. Shumba also told Mhango that without a maternity wing, the clinic under construction would not become a health centre.
“Honourable Minister, we need another health centre or two in the city to decongest the pressure at Mzuzu Health Centre where on daily basis we register 15 labour cases which translate into 450 in a month. We serve a population of about 220 000 when the ideal population ratio is 1 to 50 000,” said Shumba.
In his remarks, Mhango agreed with Shumba on the need for more health centres in the city and called on other stakeholders to emulate the example of the Gaming Board and construct more health centres in the city.
“The Gaming Board has constructed this clinic as part of its corporate social responsibility. They cannot do everything. They have also done the same in Mulanje and at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital and I ask the City Council to do its part here in Mzuzu and other stakeholders to come forward with help,” said Mhango.
Mzuzu City Council Chief Executive Officer, Macloud Kadam’mamja, said the Council had already contributed the ablution block and would consider to construct a security fence in the next financial year. He also said the Council will upgrade the road leading to the health centre to bitumen.
Gaming Board Chief Executive Officer, Master Maliro, said the Board collected K220 million revenue in the last financial year which enabled them to share with Zolozolo residents through the construction of the clinic.
He urged the City Council to mobilize resources for the other required structures at the centre.
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