Mercy James Centre treats over 300 children in two weeks

Mercy James Centre of Paediatric Surgery and Intensive Care Unit at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in Blantyre has started its services on a good note.

According to the centre’s administrator Venancio Kapalamula, they have so far received 313 patients, 238 of whom were admitted while 75 were treated as out-patients.

As of Friday, Kapalamula said, 73 children had undergone successful operations.

He said the hundreds that have already been served underscores the need and importance of the facility.

“We are receiving patients from all over the country, and we need to understand that the facility is ours [Malawians], so we have to take care of it. Malawians should also expect high standards of health service,” said Kapalamula.

Malawi Health Equity Network (Mhen) executive director George Jobe echoed Kapalamula’s sentiments, saying Malawians were deeply in need of and had more expectations from the facility.

“The facility is crucial for the development of the country as the money they could have spent for treatment in other countries would be used for other development activities,” he said.

Jobe urged Malawians to establish a ‘Friends of Mercy James’ Fund for the sustainability of the facility.

The children’s facility, which has 56 beds, was opened on July 11 2017 by pop star Madonna, and President Peter Mutharika graced the occasion. n