Healthcare workers from Mlare and Nyungwe health centres in Karonga District have bemoaned shortage of staff houses at the facilities.
The concerns came to light on Tuesday after Pamoza Tingakwaniska Youth Organisation donated assorted drugs and medical supplies to the two facilities.
In an interview, Mlare Health Centre assistant attendant Christopher Mtekela said out of seven healthcare workers, only two are accommodated at the facility’s premises.
“We have two houses at this health facility which makes it difficult to timely and properly attend to emergencies as other workers reside in rented houses away from the health centre,” he said.
On his part, Nyungwe Health Centre maternity wing in-charge William Kamwela asked authorities to construct houses to ease the challenge.
“In addition, there is shortage of staff at the facility. Under normal circumstances, we are supposed to have 15 nurses at the maternity wing but currently, there are eight which makes it hard to attend to patients,” he said.
However, Karonga district director of health and social services David Sibale said through local development structures, plans are underway to construct staff houses to enhance service delivery.
He said: “We are working with stakeholders such as ward councillors to include staff houses in their plans.
“For Nyungwe Health Centre, there is a partner who has promised to support the construction of staff houses there. However, on shortage of staff, we already have staff ready to be deployed there once accommodation facilities have been constructed.”
On her part, Pamoza Tingakwaniska Youth Organisation programmes manager Gomezgani Mhango said such donations are complementing government’s effort to achieve universal healthcare in the district.
The K2.3 million donation was supported by Breuckmann Foundation under Fiska Ulato Project
