Malawi Health Equity Network slams govt over stalled Phalombe Hospital
The Malawi Health Equity Network (MEHN) has slammed government for stalled construction of the long-awaited Phalombe District Hospital.
On October 14 2015 President Peter Mutharika assured that construction of the long-awaited district hospital would start “within two to three months” but up to now the project which was supposed to commence 15 years ago is yet to start.
Speaking to Nyasa Times in one on one interviews , MEHN Executive Director, George Jobe said it is unfortunate that it is only Phalombe District which has no public district hospital in Malawi.
MEHN comments comes barely few weeks after the Parliamentary Committee on Health visited the district to see the progress of the project but found nothing on the ground.
Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Health, Juliana Lunguzi who said the Phalombe District Hospital is being used as a pawn to win votes. said there is not even a single trip of sand or bricks.
“We believe that people of Phalombe has such a right to access medical care like any other districts,”she said..
“If the hospital is constructed it will be able to serve a population of about half a million. We cannot deny the people of Phalombe their right to health,” said Lunguzi, who is also Malawi Congress Party (MCP) MP for Dedza East.
Lunguzi said the Phalombe District Hospital is being used as a pawn to win votes.
On his part, Jobe querried on allocations in the national budget since 2005 towards the project.
“This Phalombe District Hospital need to start now,” he said.
In June last year, disgruntled people in Phalombe petitioned the President on the stalled project. They asked the President to visit the district within 14 days and give them an update.
In addition to budget allocations, Parliament in 2008 also approved a Loan Authorisation Bill for government to borrow $18 million from Saudi Fund for Development and Arab Bank for Economic Development (Badea) for the project.
Each year, government has been putting aside in the budget around K100 million to K150 million resources for implementing this project.
The project cost for construction, according to the Ministry of Health is approximately (about $22 million or about K15 billion at current exchange rates).
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Malawi…a very difficult place to leave these days…why cant we get anything right? eish!
Only if the roof of this proposed hospital was blue it would have been constructed. But not this orange? Politics on unpolitisizable matter, don’t forget you are dealing with lives!
I come from Phalombe myself and I feel sorry for everyone in my home district Phalombe. We have honourables that could have taken a lead to ensure that the hospital project is implemented but alas! Nothing. The Zomba-Jali-Phalombe-Chitakale Road project is another stalled project. The honourable members for Mulanje and Phalombe cannot come together to see how they can petition the president to have this long outstanding project start. My dear home district Phalombe, I cry for you!
Honestly, i am a citizen from this district and i blame our members of parliament who just sitting idle without doing anything pertaining to the construction of the hospital. Are sure guys you are representing this district other MPs from Dedza are talking about this while as the owner of the constituency you don’t see anything wrong. Please, Mr. President do something about this hospital tikuzuzika ife, ku MUlanje komanso ku Zomba komwe timatumizidwa tikadwalika ndi kutali zedi. Ngati chipatala chimenechi sichimangidwa muyiwale mavote a ku Phalombe or muli Alhomwe anzathu. Mwatikwana.
Asa abale simunatitu. Mukadwalika ingomwani mthibulo. Asa koma abale Mlhomwe kudoda achanzache. Zitchetche makoswe njoka. Kama anyamata awa auje awa che sato akanapezekabe. Chifukwatu ameneaja somba kuchekere kabatu.