60 students sign MSH scholarship bond

In a bid to increase human resource in rural health centres, Management Sciences for Health (MSH) on Wednesday met and signed a scholarship bond with 60 students pursuing various health courses locally.

The scholarship caters for everything and has been offered to students studying nursing and midwifery and clinical medicine at Malamulo College of Health Sciences and Malawi College of Health Sciences.

In an interview after the ceremony, MSH project director Erik Schouten said the initiative comes amid appreciation that most hospitals in rural areas are understaffed.

He said there have been initiatives to increase the number of health personnel in the rural areas, but they fail to keep the staff in remote areas. He also said this is the factor they looked into when designing the initiative and they are optimistic that through a bond system, they will achieve the goal.

Speaking on behalf of the students, Aunizia Chimderenji, who is among the students who started schooling before the scholarship bond, thanked MSH for the initiative.

However, she asked the office to ensure all necessary learning materials are provided for in time. She said being from the rural areas, most of them are poor and unprepared to meet the basic needs of their stay in college.

MSH scholarship programme began last year with 30 students and is expected to admit students annually until 2016.