Illovo Sugar Malawi plc has handed over a K113 million mortuary to Chikwawa District Hospital to help the facility create more space for cold rooms.
Speaking on Wednesday during the handover, Nchalo Estate general manager Ricky Pilly said the company appreciates the cordial relationship with the community.
He cited the facility as a testament to their commitment to supporting local development.
Said Pilly: “The 95-year-old mortuary was not only small but also lacked cold rooms, making it difficult to accommodate the increasing number of bodies in the district.
“We hope this new facility will go a long way in improving the healthcare services in the area.”
The new mortuary has 12 cold rooms, a significant upgrade from the old facility which could only accommodate 9 bodies.
On his part, Chikwawa District Council chairperson Alexander Shawa expressed gratitude to Illovo for their generosity, pledging to ensure
the facility is well-maintained and protected from vandalism.
“I urge everyone to take care of the facility,” he said.
In random interviews, Chikwawa residents expressed excitement with the facility, saying it will help less-privileged bereaved families mobilise resources before collecting the bodies for burial.
Jonathan Malunga, a resident, said sometimes death occurs suddenly when people have no money to buy a coffin or organise transport.
He said: “If there is no sufficient space at the mortuary, you can be pressured to collect the body to create space for others.
“With more cold rooms, it will give less-privileged families from remote areas in the district an opportunity to mobilise resources and make other arrangements before collecting the body.”
The project was undertaken by a local contractor, Failosi Kasam, who assured the public of the facility’s durability.
Construction began in April last year and was completed in May this year.
Chikwawa District Hospital serves a population of approximately 500 000 people and the ne mortuary is expected to improve the hospital’s capacity to handle funeral services.
