Malawians making too many babies —Health Minister

Minister of Health Dr Jean Kalilani has noted that Malawians are having too many babies which will impact on the population growth of the one of the world’s most impoverished countries.

Kalilani said government plans to construct a new hospital in Lilongwe, after newspaper report suggest eapid population growth in Malawi’s capital, Lilongwe and the surrounding districts has turned Kamuzu Central Hospital (KCH) into a death trap with up to five children in the emergency ward sharing a bed

However, Kalilani said the construction of a news hospital might not automatically solve the congestion problem at KCH.

“We are doing our best to decongest the hospitals, but what is happening is that we are just making too many children and then the population is growing and there will be more patients going to the hospital,” Kalilani told Weekend Nation.

“ It is time we found means to stop this rapid growth of population,” said Kalilani.

Speaking to reporters in Lilongwe to explain the status of health sector reforms, Kalilani disclosed that other hospitals are facing similar congestion problems.

She was hopeful that the reforms which her ministry is implementing would address some of those challenges.

Recently, the Sunday Times newspaper reported about a 50-year-old woman who has 22 children.