Alliance One renovates labour ward, donates beds to Likuni Hospital
As part of fulfilling its social responsibility and one way of giving back to communities Alliance One Tobacco (Malawi) Limited has renovated labour ward and donated 10 beds with 10 mattresses at Likuni Mission Hospital to ensure that mothers deliver in a conducive environment.
Speaking during the handover ceremony in Lilongwe on Thursday, Alliance One Cooperate Affairs Manager Fran Malila said they decided to renovate the labour ward after realizing the challenges pregnant mothers were facing during labour time at the hospital.
“This is in relation to Alliance One’s social responsibility policy that ensures that we are providing support sectors in need. The company is committed to conduct its business with integrity and full compliance with the legal and regulatory requirements of Malawi. We have an obligation to be a responsible citizen and this obligation extends to wide range of social, environmental and economic concerns” said Malila.
Health Secretary for Health Commission of Lilongwe Archdiocese Regina Nyang’wa commended Alliance One Ltd saying the assistance will help the hospital to provide quality maternal and child health to mothers through conducting deliveries in cubicles that provide privacy and meet the standards on infection prevention.
She further added that the assistance is in line with Malawi Development Millennium Goal number four and five which stresses the reduction of child mortality and improvement of maternal health respectively.
“The newly renovated and spacious labour ward will attract more pregnant mothers within the catchment area of Likuni Mission Hospital to come and deliver with the assistance of trained/skilled health workers. This will reduce the incidences of maternal and child mortality through deliveries at Traditional Birth Attendants,” added Nyang’wa.
Likuni Mission Hospital Principal Administrator Sister Agness Lungu also hailed Alliance One gesture saying is worth emulating and that it will help reduce the challenges mothers were facing during delivery at the hospital.
Alliance One has spent K5 million in renovating the ward as well as procuring beds and mattresses.
The upgraded facility has been designed in a modern way and will give more privacy to expectant mothers than the old facility.
On average the hospital receives 10-15 pregnant mothers on daily basis. The hospital has a catchment of over 169 000 people.
