Malawi Military Hospital construction to start: Budget allocates K195bn for health sector budget
The 2020/21 National Budget has allocated the health sector K195.3 billion, representing 9.7 percent of the total budget, second to education, with Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Development Joseph Mwanamvekha disclosing that construction of a military hospital may start later this year.
Malawi government plan to construct a modern military hospital for Malawi Defence Force (MDF) where the facility will be equipped with an air ambulance at Kamuzu Barracks in Lilongwe.
Construction of a hospital at the Kamuzu Barracks was one of the recommendations by the Commission of Inquiry into circumstances of the death of late President Bingu wa Mutharika in April of 2012.
Among others, the Justice Elton Singini inquiry observed that, referring a whole Head of State to a public hospital- as was the case with late Bingu wa Mutharika- compromised the president’s security and privacy.
Therefore, the Commission recommended that: “Government needs to construct or establish a presidential medical facility at the headquarters of the Malawi Defence Force in Lilongwe which is the seat of Government where the President regularly resides.”
Presenting the fiscal plan for Malawi in 2020/21, Mwanamvekha said government has engaged a consultant to develop the designs of the military hospital which are expected to be ready by end July, 2020.
“Government is also in discussions with would-be financiers of this project and once discussions are concluded and designs completed, construction work would Start,” he said.
The resources in the health sector, according to Mwanamvekha, will cater for completion of Domasi Community Hospital, Phalombe District Hospital, and the National Cancer Treatment Centre in Lilongwe.
“These projects are expected to be completed by August 2020. In addition, Government plans to complete 3 health centres and Umoyo houses in 29 sites across the country,” Mwanamvekha said.
Furthermore, the Finance Minister disclosed that construction of Mponela Community Hospital will continue in the 2020/2021 financial year.
Mwanamvekha also said the health budget will cater for wages and salaries, including recruitment of health personnel, operational expenses for Ministry of Health, district health offices, central and district hospitals.
He said K27.3 billion will be for procurement of medical drugs and of which K11.7 billion is for central hospitals and K15.6 billion is for district hospitals.
In light of the ongoing coronavirus (Covid- 19) pandemic, Mwanamvekha said government will continue to focus on “halting further spread” through the implementation of evidence-based public health measures as well as ensuring that the provision of other essential services does not suffer.
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It is a lie you can produce/develop modern hospital designs in under 8 weeks when you have not even solicited tenders for the same!!!!
Zipatalazo zimangidwe zambiri mudziko lathu,so that Ife nzika tizikatenga mankhwala osati president yekha ayi.Mangani zipatalazo zambiri komanso zikhale ndi mafacilities apamwamba for all of us.Tonse timadwala.zomangira president yekhazo ayi.Tifuna Kuti amalawi wonse akadwala azikalandira chinthandizo kumeneko osati president yekha.Good hospitals are good for all citizens.Ma president ena amangoba ndalama zaboma.Ngati Peter Munthalika adaba K145 million yaboma in the name of donation.
Don’t worry folks. There is no money for this project. The financier will not he found just like the Salima/Lilongwe water project.
Try to reason like educated adults whom the followers can trust. Avoid any project now because people will know you are deceiving them. Once you lose the elections you know that you will not finish them. I feel very sorry for the president, as a big man who cannot put himself in the shoes of the people he is leading. The biggest blunder was to partner with UDF who messed up things, and asked honourable man Bingu Watharika economic engineer to clean up the mess he plunged the Malawi into a viral cyclic systemic problem which fails spanners to correct.… Read more »
The best you can do you in government is to say nothing about projects. You cannot study for an examination in one night for notes piled the whole semester.
Mr honourable, please know that you are dealing with adults with good five senses. You can not start a project now when within the timeframe of elections. You are on making feel like unreasonable children who can be puppeted whom parents calm them down not to cry by promising them a sweet. Parents usually say “tonthola, usalire ndikakugulira sweet.” Where were you all the past time, after people have suffered all long, now in this time its when you are promising them a hospital which you know you will not build. You are making things worse. Better keep silent. otherwise… Read more »
Strange how a rich country like the UK Prime Minister (President).Boris Johnson when suffering from Covid-19 went to a Public Hospital Yet a poor country like Malawi wishes to build a special hospital for the President to protect his Privacy. Strange priorities when it would be better to improve what you Currently have for the benefit of all Malawians. TIME FOR CHANGE
I still do not believe that the superintendent police died from COVID 19, because he would have been rushed to a better hospital.
Anyway mwachita bwino kuika mu budget achina Chakwera /Chilima ndi omwe atamange chipatalachi just imagine recommendation inapelekedwa mu chaka cha 2012 Bingu atatisiya koma mpaka lero kungoti dzi apa wathandiza ndi mlili wa Corona akuluakulu miyezi imeneyi anavutika kukanika kupita kuzipatala zomwe amapita za kunja kwa dziko lino la Malawi
Another trip to Lilongwe by agogo for yet another stone planting ceremony?
Another bad decision. You do not construct a hospital within a military barracks unless for biological warfare casualties. There sites, however smart their provision become targets for military attack should, God forbid, there being a war in future.
Hospitals (and churches) should be built on sacred grounds that are deemed neutral. Most Generals including fat cats could do with the much needed exercise walk away from the barracks to visit sick soldiers.