NPL, partners donate equipment to Mchinji Hospital

Nation Publications Limited (NPL) on Saturday organised a Mother’s Day Fun Run in Mchinji where they partnered with several organisations in donating various maternal and neonatal health care equipment worth K30 Million to Mchinji District Hospital aimed at promoting safe motherhood.

The Mother’s Day Fun run Project an annual event, was launched with an aim of promoting safe motherhood and fighting maternal and neonatal deaths through provision of health care items to needy government hospitals and health centres in the country.

Speaking during the event NPL Chief Executive Officer Mbumba Banda said there is need for collective efforts to ensure that mothers in the country access acceptable and high quality maternal healthcare to prevent maternal deaths.

Banda said findings from a Global Health on Maternal mortality rate in Malawi showed that provision of maternity care is less than half of what is required and that obstetric care services are still mostly lacking in Malawi, especially at peripheral health centre level.

The report further explains that the maternal mortality rate in Malawi would decline further if access to both basic and comprehensive emergency obstetric care could be improved further along with skilled attendance for all deliveries.

“Our collective focus should be making pregnancy and childbirth safer, and ensuring access to acceptable and high quality maternal health care by disadvantaged and underserved women in the region, most of whom travel long distances to access such care for themselves and their unborn babies,” she added.

The NPL Chief executive officer said government alone cannot reduce maternal mortality hence Nation Publications Limited continued efforts to promote safe motherhood through the engagement of the private sector, international organisations and individuals to participate in the fight.

Speaking during the same event United Nations Resident Coordinator Mia Seppo commended NPL for contributing to the maternal and new born heath by mobilizing resources to buy equipment in hospitals.

“Motherhood can be a joyful moment if the mother and the baby are alive after delivery, but there are still many women who die due to complications during child birth and we lose active members of the society who could contribute to the development of the nation,” She said.

“A 2014 Malawi report on maternal death reveal that 30 percent of women who die are those aged 13 to 23 years old because they give birth earlier than they should, resulting in preventable maternal deaths,” She noted

She then called on institutions and government to provide information and advocate for delay in child birth to prevent maternal deaths

Mchinji District Health Officer Dr Chimwemwe Banda said the district hospital faces numerous challenges such as lack of equipment which affects the smooth operation of the hospital.

He said the donation will help improve maternal health in the district.

The equipment include Mattresses, oxygen concentrators, delivery sets, thermometers and stethoscopes.

The fun run started with a 20 klometre marathon from Kamwendo to Mchinji district hospital. The runners were awarded medals of appreciation by NPL.

Several companies such as Press and Dossani Trust, Standard Bank, First Bank, Mai Khanda, Zodiak Broadcasting Station (ZBS) and Competition and Fair Trading Commission (CFTC) supported the NPL Mother’s Fun run.

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