Likoma district director of health and social services Gracewell Mathewe has described the construction of a staff house at Chima Health Centre in the district as a milestone in health service delivery.
Speaking in an interview on Saturday, he said the K18 million house, constructed under the Government to Enable Service Delivery (Gesd) project, has solved accommodation problems at the facility.
Mathewe said healthcare workers reside far away from the health centre, which affects their availability.
“It is important for healthcare workers to reside near their workplace to help patients timely,” he said.
Chima Health Centre nurse and midwife technician Lyson Kasakatiza thanked the council for the house.
“People can access healthcare services anytime unlike in the past when I used to stay away from the health centre. It was challenging to walk long distances every day because I could reach the facility tired,” he said.
A mother, Iness Phiri said the availability of a healthcare worker at the facility has given people hope of getting assistance at night.
“When there is an emergency at night, we will be able to go to hospital, knowing we will get assistance,” she said.
Likoma district director of public works Shadrick Msiska said the council has constructed the second staff house at the facility which is expected to be handed over by the end of May.
Chima Health Centre is a public health facility on the island district where people for many years were depending on St. Peter’s Hospital owned by the Anglican Church
