First Vice-President Jane Ansah yesterday cheered patients at Nkhoma Mission Hospital in Lilongwe where she also commended the facility’s role in providing quality healthcare services to people in the district.
Speaking after touring selected wards, including the maternity and neonatal units, she said she wanted to inspire hope among patients and guardians as they celebrated Christmas.
As part of the Christmas celebrations, the First Vice- President presented hampers to patients, including mothers who delivered on the day. Four babies were born at the hospital by the time she visited and she named the only female child after her.
festive season. | Govati Nyirenda
Ansah, who was born at Nkhoma Mission Hospital and also delivered her first child at the facility, expressed satisfaction with recent developments at the institution, particularly the production of oxygen.
“I am pleased to note that the hospital is now producing its own oxygen and supplying it free of charge to other public health facilities,” she said.
Ansah, however, noted that maternal deaths at the facility have increased from one case last year to eight this year, a situation she said is largely linked to teenage pregnancies.
Nkhoma Mission Hospital head of clinical services Vincent Moyo said the facility was facing operational challenges that are affecting service delivery.
“We are experiencing serious staff shortages and this has an impact on the quality and timeliness of services we provide,” he said.
Moyo also cited erratic electricity supply as a major challenge.
“Power interruptions affect critical services and there is a need for an independent power source to ensure uninterrupted healthcare delivery,” he said.
Moyo said the hospital serves close to 100 000 people within its catchment area, covering parts of Lilongwe and Dedza districts.
Owned by the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian and opened in 1889, the hospital remains one of the major referral health facilities in the Central Region
