MAHECAS holds annual dinner gala: Theo to perform
Malawi Health Care Support UK (MAHECAS UK) will be hosting its much-celebrated dinner dance- the charity’s biggest annual event- on Saturday 13 October at the Westcliff Hotel, Westcliff Parade, Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex SS0 7QW, near the Southend-on-sea coast in Essex.
Combining great food and drink with music, the event is open to all Malawians and anyone with an interest in Malawi. MAHECAS also brings together a string of people, both young and old, from a wide range of professions, disciplines and careers, promising a dynamic atmosphere and an unforgettable dinner experience.
Performing a few songs at the event will be Theo Thomson, the Malawian born musician who rose to fame after the release of his debut album, “Gypsy”, in 2010 and has since performed alongside international acts including Sean Kingston and Jamaican duo, Brick & Lace.
All proceeds from the event will go towards renovating and re-equipping the dental department at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Blantyre, Malawi.
Formed in 1995, MAHECAS is managed by an Executive Board of Trustees and a team of dedicated volunteers who, with the commendable help of numerous individual supporters, donors and organisations in the UK, have injected nearly £100,000 into hospitals and medical services throughout Malawi. Overseeing the work is another dedicated team of coordinators based in Malawi.
Dr. Milika Matiti, MAHECAS chairperson and lecturer at the University of Nottingham’s School of Nursing, Midwifery and Physiotherapy said, “Since its inception in 1995, MAHECAS has accomplished a number of projects including the supply of surgical equipment, beddings for patients and the construction of buildings for Malawi’s health care sector.”
The chronic shortage of doctors, nurses and health care workers throughout Sub-Saharan Africa, has put health care into the region’s focus in recent years.
According to a World Health Organization report, there is approximately one doctor for every 40,000 people in Malawi, compared to one per 3,000 in Nigeria, and 1 per 400 in the UK. This, combined with an inadequate supply of medical facilities and basic infrastructure for Malawi’s 15 million people, only exacerbates the problem.
“The challenges of health care services in terms of resources are huge. Every Malawian, including those in the diaspora, has some responsibility in helping to meet those challenges,” said Dr Matiti.
“Though it is difficult to measure the impact MAHECAS has had [on hospitals in Malawi], its contribution made in a small way has had acknowledgement and appreciation from its recipients and the Ministry of Health in Malawi,” she added.
MAHECAS’s most recent work includes the donation of two dental suction machines to Queen Elizabeth Hospital and the construction of a guardian shelter at Mulanje District Hospital, which is nearing its completion and has been partly sponsored by the charity.
In the past, some of the charity’s larger projects have included the extension of the pharmacy at Queen Elizabeth Hospital and the extension of the outpatient department at Kamuzu Central Hospital in Lilongwe, Malawi’s capital city.
Due to limited seating, the organisers of MAHECAS’s annual dinner dance are urging guests to book their tickets as early as possible to avoid disappointment in what promises to be an entertaining and special evening for a great cause.
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