Hope for the elderly

For the first time in the history of  health care in Malawi, Kalibu Ministries is building a hospital that will  provide free health services to the elderly. I visited the construction site in  Blantyre and tells the story.

It was  supposed to be a big day for the elderly. Like other days celebrated globally,  it was supposed to be commemorated and decorated with dances, recitals, speeches  and big walks.

But October 1, the World Elderly Day,  came in silence and so it went. There was not even a single word or voice from  the Ministry of the Elderly. Not even a single media outlet talked about the  day. It was just an ordinary day.

Yet, as the day went in silence, a  global chart depicting Malawi as a worst country to be an elderly person was  released. It showed that out of 30 countries in Sub- Saharan Africa, Malawi  ranked the worst.

But who would blame the  ranking?

In a country without a social policy for  the elderly; in a country where the elderly are always being suspected of  witchcraft; it is not ‘unusual’ that the five percent of the population that  constitutes the elderly in Malawi are outcasts of society.

Those with the perspective of years say  the plight of the elderly continues to worsen.

John Ngulube, a sociologist at  Chancellor College, argues that with increased levels of westernisation in  Africa—where everybody minds their family—the elderly are being left to fend for  themselves.

“In the past, Africa valued community  life. The elders and the orphans could hardly suffer because they were part of a  communal sharing. Not today. The children are migrating into cities, and even  those that remain in the village have business only with their families. This  has left the elderly desolate,” said Ngulube.

And desolate is the defining word that  Kalibu Ministries found about the elderly in Blantyre rural after conducting a  baseline survey to assess the living conditions of the elderly.

“What we found was that the elderly have  critical challenges in accessing health services. They live in distant villages  very far from health centres. Because of their frailty and poverty, they can  barely walk to access health facilities. As a result, they suffer and,  sometimes, die early from treatable ailments,” said Andrew Kavala, Kalibu  Ministries project manager.

One such person is John Chiyenda who  lives in Group Village Head (GVH) Mchere, Traditional Authority (T/A) Kapeni in  Blantyre.

At 78, Chiyenda lives alone in a  one-roomed shack. His wife died eight years ago and all his children—nine of  them—migrated into the city, some to seek employment and others because of  marriages.

If neighbours don’t come to his aid, he  has to wake up early to beg.

“What pains me the most is that I am  often sick, but I cannot walk to Lirangwe Health Centre; it is very far for me,”  he said.

It is about 25 kilometres from his house  to Lirangwe Health Centre.

“I end up turning to traditional  medicine,” he said.

This is not just Chiyenda’s story. There  are many elderly people in the country who, trapped in distant and unreachable  rural areas, fail to access health services.

But for Chiyenda there is  hope.

The Kalibu Ministries—with financial  support from the Finish Government—is constructing a state-of-the-art hospital  in GVH Mchere which will provide free health services to the elderly.

“This is the first hospital built  specifically to treat the elderly in Malawi. We have never had this before,”  said Kavala.

Expected to be completed in December  2013 and treat its first patient in January 2014, the hospital will employ  doctors and nurses from Malawi. But Kavala said the doctors will need to have  special training in treating the elderly.

“Our dream is to have specialists in  treating the elderly. With years, we intend to make it a referral hospital so  that every case to do with the elderly from any part of the country will be  referred to this hospital for free treatment,” he said.

When I toured the area a week ago, I  marvelled at the excitement and enthusiasm among members of the community.

“Our elders have suffered for years. I  think our prayers have been answered. We hope that soon we will begin to reap  the fruits,” said Robert Moyenda, one of the 75 people who, after years of  loafing, have found employment at the building site.

“We are guarding it jealously. Not  because we get paid at the end of the month. Rather, because this is our  hospital,” he added.

Kavala appealed to stakeholders,  especially government, to embrace and support the project.

“We are able to drill our own water  here, but the nearest electricity lines are almost three kilometres away. We  appeal to government, through Escom, to help us on this,” he said.

He thanked companies such as Mota-Engil  and Terrastone for the support they have provided to the project.

“We are appealing for more to come in  and render their hand in this noble exercise. We want to upgrade the road that  connects the hospital to the main road; it is almost impassable during rainy  season. There is just so much that we want,” said Kavala.