The Patriots, a charity managed by Malawians, says it has now reached out to 19 public health facilities with medical equipment and supplies worth about K47.5 billion.
The medical aid is part of the organisation’s 100-Container Health Care Strengthening Initiative which seeks to donate medical resources to almost all public hospitals in the country.
Out of the 28 district in Malawi, The Patriots are remaining with 11 hospitals to make the donation. They are Likoma, Dedza, Dowa, Nkhotakota, Ntchisi, Balaka, Chikwawa, Chiradzulu, Machinga, Mwanza and Neno district hospitals.
While each container is valued at about K2.5 billion, the organisation yesterday offloaded its 19th consignment at Nkhata Bay District Hospital to benefit a catchment area of 319 000 people.
Speaking during the donation, Patriots board chairperson Kamuzu Chibambo said the medical aid is a response to the country’s poor health services.
He said: “Our organisation and its diaspora partners, including Project Cure, brainstormed over the need to help Malawi and we chose the health sector.
“The choice of this sector was due to poor health service delivery in public health facilities caused by acute shortage of medical resources such as those we are donating. We made assessments in most of our public hospitals prior and established the need for such resources.”
Nkhata Bay District director of health services Topcy Mdolo said the hospital could refer patients to other hospitals due to lack of essential medical equipment at the facility.
“The human resource is available at Nkhata Bay District Hospital but we were lacking some medical equipment such as cardiac ultrasound machine, intensive care unit beds and dental equipment that have been provided today,” he said.
Nkhata Bay Chiefs’ council secretary Senior Chief Nyaluwanga called for collective care for the medical resources or risk not benefiting from other incoming medical resources to the district.
Meanwhile, Malawi Health Equity Network executive director George Jobe has urged the beneficiary health facilities to properly utilise and manage the medical resources.
“The health facilities should use the resources prudently, transparently and in line with national health priorities to ensure maximum benefit to the communities they serve,” he said.
