Minister donates food to Karonga Hospital
Minister of Lands Kezzie Msukwa has appealed to well-wishers in the Northern Region to mobilise resources for public hospitals.
He made the call on Wednesday after leading the region’s Malawi Congress Party supporters in donating food items to patients at Karonga District Hospital.
Msukwa, who is also the party’s regional chairperson (North-North), said when the party supporters realised that patients cannot take drugs without food, they contributed money to buy the food items.
He said: “As a party, we felt that the first line of medicine is food.
“So, we felt duty-bound to source food as a temporary relief while the council is finding ways to provide the food to the patients.”
Karonga district medical officer Lindani Chirwa said the donation will alleviate the food challenges the hospital is facing.
The district commissioner Paul Kalilombe said the council will resume food rations to patients soon.
The K2 million worth of items included five tonnes of maize, five bags of beans, four bags of rice, 20 liters of cooking oil, sugar, salt and a cow.
On Saturday, Minister of Health Khumbidze Kandodo Chiponda’s visit to Karonga District Hospital revealed that patients have gone two months without receiving food due to a K12 million debt the facility owes to food suppliers.
