Health Centre stays 14 years without opening,  Balaka community frustrated

Group Village Headman Mpilisi and his subjects expressed their frustrations to Balaka District Health officials for failing to facilitate the opening of Dziwe Health Centre fourteen years after its construction.

Dziwe Health Centre

Through National Initiative for Civic Education Trust (NICE), the villagers had summoned the officials together with the district council staff on Wednesday to demand answers on why the health facility is not being opened.

The Group Village Headman Mpilisi of T/A Msamala said it is an insult to his subjects who had put in a lot of effort in moulding bricks and mobilizing other resources for the health centre but now are unable to enjoy their fruits.

He said all was almost set for the facility to be operational after the district hospital started sending other hospital equipment like beds and mattresses among others not knowing that the project is almost a failed one.

“After people saw the arrival of some hospital equipment, they thought their long walk to hospital had ended. It is more painful to us just seeing this completed building not serving the purpose it was supposed to.

“We are happy you are now here, all we want are the honest answers from you. Tell us where we got it wrong and if may be we wronged you; please forgive us and open this health facility for us,” implored GVH Mpilisi amid ululations from his subjects.

He said currently the facility is being run by Village Reach, a non-governmental organization which is only providing anti-natal, post-natal and oral vaccination services. Surprisingly, the NGO is using the Health Surveillance Assistants (HSA) who are based at the facility.

He further said a visiting nurse just comes once a week (Wednesday) to offer other services.

But commenting on why the facility had stayed that long without being operational, Balaka district hospital spokesperson Mercy Nyirenda said they would go back in their system to check what went wrong.

She added that they were not aware that construction for the facility finished some years back.

But when Nyasa Times pinned her as to why they had started sending some hospital equipment, Nyirenda said “I am also surprised as to who brought these things here.”

However, she promised the community that they would visit it again with her bosses and upon their recommendation; they would write the Ministry of Health if they could open it.

But she advised the villagers to ensure that there is potable water at the facility.

In absence of the facility, the community travel almost 30 KM to Balaka Hospital to access medical treatment and sometimes they go to Machinga District Hospital.

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URIM AND THUMIM
URIM AND THUMIM
5 years ago

PUTTING DEAD /SICK PEOPLE IN POSITIONS –PEOPLE WHO ARE SUPPOSED TO BE IN NURSING HOMES — WE PUT THEM
IN DEMANDING POSITIONS ——–LEAVING YOUNG VIBRANT INTELLIGENT LEADERS — WHEN THEY ARE POSITIONS WHAT
THEY KNOW IS ZINGWANJE/ZITHUMWA /CADETS, .

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