Chai hands over K445 million maternity wing

JAMESON CHAULUKA

Clinton Health Access Initiative (Chai) has donated a maternity wing and two health workers’ houses valued at K445 million at Chimwawa Health Centre in Chiradzulu.

Speaking during the official handover ceremony, Chai Country Director, Andrews Gunda, said the organisation is committed to helping government in the provision of universal access to quality health services in the country.

Gunda said poor services in the country’s public hospitals discourage expectant women from delivering at the health facilities.

“Many hospitals in the country are in bad state. They do not have adequate equipment and health personnel. In the end, women do not come to deliver their babies in there because they do not see any difference between delivering in the villages and at the hospital,” he said.

Esmie Mnema, one of the women in the area, thanked Chai for the hospital, saying women in the area were facing many challenges in accessing maternal health services.

“The nearest health centre is over 10 kilometres away. Some of us were delivering on the way to the health centre but that is now history. This is a beautiful facility and we will be delivering our babies with love and dignity,” she said.

The maternity wing, which has been constructed with financial assistance from the Norwegian Government, has a 32-bed capacity and is expected to serve over 16,000 women from about 60 surrounding villages.

Receiving the hospital on behalf of the government, Health Minister, Atupele Muluzi, hailed Chai and the Royal Norwegian Embassy for the maternity wing, saying it will help in ending problems which women were facing in the area.

“This state-of-the-art maternity wing is a fruit of a good relationship between government and its development partners. Government is committed to providing quality health services and the maternity wing is key in the provision of quality maternal health services in the area,” he said.

Member of Parliament for the area, Joseph Mwanamvekha, also hailed Chai for the maternity wing, saying it will help in the provision of quality maternal health services to women in the area.