People in Traditional Authority Kilupula in Karonga District have asked duty-bearers to commission Ngerenge Dispensary to improve access to healthcare services in the area.
The delay to open the facility, three months after Karonga District Council handed it over to the community, prompted Kilupula Area Development Committee (ADC) and group village head (GVH) Mwangomba to petition the council on Thursday.
In an interview on Sunday, Kilupula ADC chairperson Kingdom Malanga said despite deploying a medical staff and receiving drugs and medical supplies twice from Central Medical Stores Trust, the dispensary is yet to open.
“As if that is not enough, the structure has developed cracks on its walls and water pipes are broken,” he said.
On his part, GVH Mwangomba said the delay to open it was forcing people to pay K30 000 to travel to Kaporo Rural Hospital.
Karonga Lufilya legislator Abraham Mwakhwawa (Malawi Congress Party) also said the dispensary was not in a good condition.
He said: “Cracks are everywhere just as broken
sewer pipes. Above all, it is yet to be connected to water.
“I will take it up with relevant authorities to ensure that these challenges are fixed.”
Karonga Town Council acting chief executive officer Steve Chima, who received the petition on behalf of Karonga district commissioner Thomas Chigwenembe, assured the petitioners that the council will address the problems.
“The petition has outlined things such as lack of toilets, curtains, furniture, bulbs and water. I consulted the director of health services who assured me that the community will be assisted in two weeks,” he said.
Evangelical Association of Malawi Karonga District Fighting Inequalities project coordinator Lusungu Mangochi, whose organisation trained the community on how to track public projects and demand accountability from duty-bearers, expressed satisfaction with the authorities’ response
