Health minister Kumpalume praises St Andrews Hospital
Minister of Health Dr Peter Kumpalume has praised St Andrews Hospital’s good financial management when he officially handed over two ambulances to the facility in Kasungu district.
The ambulances were donated by Japanese Government through the Malawi Embassy in Japan to Christian Health Association of Malawi (CHAM) run health facility.
Speaking during the ceremony last Friday, Kumpalume said it was a great to see that despite the ambulances being free, the hospital was told to foot shipping costs which it did without a problem.
In most of CHAM facilities there are problems of financial management, but with what St Andrews Hospital has shown in paying for the cost of shipping these ambulances, has shown that it manages its finances very well,
”Another hospital was told to incur the same costs in order to get an ambulance but it failed. I therefore, urge all other hospitals to learn from St Andrews,” said Kumpalume.
The Minister said he appreciates the relationship which exists between CHAM and the government in the delivery of health services especially to the people in the rural areas.
St Andrews Hospital which has gone into Service Level Agreement (SLA) with Kasungu District Hospital (KDH) to provide free services in Maternal and Neo-natal health had been facing problems to refer patients to Kasungu or Lilongwe.
Bishop Francis Kaulanda of Anglican Diocese of Lake Malawi-which runs the hospital, said the ambulances are a sign that government and CHAM are indeed in a good partnership.
Bishop Kaulanda added that with the SL Agreement with KDH the Ambulances have come at a right time.
“The ambulances will ease the hospital in as far as transport is concerned and it will be easier now to refer cases to KDH and even Kamuzu Central Hospital without any problem. This will serve us well in the SLA as patients will be able to be attended to at other hospitals,” said Kaulanda.
St Andrews Hospital located in Mtunthama has now clocked 16 years, and serves people mainly in the eastern part of Kasungu and some parts of Ntchisi and Dowa.
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Financial management in CHAM facilities is increasingly improving. St Anne’s Hospital in Nkhotakota already already received two ambulances on a similar arrangement last year.