Chief hails diocese for health centre project

Senior Chief Mwabulambya of Chitipa District has commended Karonga Diocese of the Catholic Church for constructing St. Cynthia Health Centre in the area.

He said this on Wednesday when Bishop Martin Mtumbuka of Karonga Diocese handed over an ambulance to the facility.

“I will engage other traditional leaders to ensure that people take good care of the health centre and other infrastructure the diocese has constructed in the area,” said Mabulambya.

Mtumbuka said the ambulance will help the facility transport critically sick patients to Chitipa District Hospital and conduct some outreach programmes.

He, however, asked duty-bearers to implement projects that will improve people’s lives.

Said Mtumbuka: “When I launched the facility’s construction works in 2016, people used to get healthcare services from Tanzania. Again, the area had no social amenities such as boreholes, schools and health facilities.

“Now that we opened this health centre, there is need for us to construct a primary school because there is no primary school in the area. We cannot live like that in the 21st century.”

The bishop hailed traditional leaders for supporting the construction of the health centre as they encouraged their subjects to mobilise resources such as bricks and river sand.

United States of America-based Cross Catholic Outreach International project officer for Africa, Theresa Camacho, said they funded the project through Karonga Diocese to improve people’s lives.

She said her institution is committed to transforming people’s lives through access to healthcare services, potable water and education.

“We are pleased to see the impact our projects are making in rural communities. We urge people to own the facilities so they can last long,” she said.

According to St. Cynthia Health Centre in-charge Theresa Kamanga, the facility serves a population of 10 184