KU MP bemoans lack of health facility
Member of Parliament MP for Kasungu East Madalitso Kazombo (Malawi Congress Party-MCP) has mobilised his constituents to stage a vigil at the district commissioner’s office to force government to construct a health centre at Kapyanga in Traditional Authority (T/A) Wimbe.
Kazombo was taken to task by his constituents for failing to fulfill his pledge of constructing the facility during a citizen hearing forum organised by White Ribbon Alliance on Saturday in Kasungu.
Said Kazombo: “In my maiden speech, I requested for the construction of a health centre here at Kapyanga. Government committed to building the facility but never fulfilled its promise. I am now left with no option, but to rally chiefs and a heavily pregnant woman to march and stage a vigil at the DC’s office. This is the only way government will listen to us.”
He is yet to announce the day of the vigil.
Despite government’s commitment and villagers moulding 600 000 bricks and raising two tonnes of sand and quarry stones, there is no sign the health centre will be constructed soon.
Kasungu district health officer (DHO) Jerome Nkambule said Kapyanga has been registering high maternal deaths.
Said Nkambule: “The requirement of the World Health Organisation [WHO], to which Malawi is signatory, is that there should be a health facility every eight kilometres. However, in the case of Kapyanga, the nearest hospital is 40 kilometres away. To make matters worse, the roads are in very bad shape, rendering it difficult to transport expectant mothers to the nearest hospital. We urge government to construct a health centre soon to save lives.”
National coordinator for White Ribbon Alliance Kondwani Simbota said they have embarked on a programme to directly engage citizens to capture challenges they are facing in the fight against maternal mortality.
