After 13 years of waiting, people in Traditional Authority Kyungu in Karonga District can now smile as Karonga District Council has approved K170 million for the construction of an outpatient department (OPD) at Mpata Health Centre.
The project stalled at foundation level in 2012, igniting anger among community members in the area.
. | Jordan Simeon-Phiri
In an interview on Monday, Mpata Health Centre Management Committee chairperson Vyalema Mhango said it was like a dream that the council has finally allocated funds to the project.
He was reacting to the council’s approved budget of K28.3 billion for the 2025/26 financial year.
Said Mhango: “At least 25 000 people around the health centre were struggling to access quality healthcare services due to congestion.
“We are pleased that government has finally remembered us after many years.”
The council’s health and development service committee chairperson Alick Ng’oma said the project was allocated K170 million from the Hospital Rehabilitation Fund tapped from central government.
“The K170 million is from over K470 million which central government has given Karonga District Council and will cater for the construction of the OPD at Mpata Health Centre and a water reticulation system at the facility,” he said.
Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation executive director Michael Kaiyatsa, whose organisation has been advocating for the resumption of the project, described the development as good news.
He said the allocation was a crucial step towards improving people’s access to healthcare.
“Given the history of the stalled project and the unfortunate disappearance of the contractor with funds, it is reassuring that the authorities are now taking action to ensure the project’s resumption,” said Kaiyatsa.
However, he urged relevant authorities to ensure strict monitoring mechanisms to avoid a repeat
