By Esnath Kalawe
Lilongwe, May 18, Mana: Minister of Health, Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda, has assured Malawians that the Tonse led administration is planning to take responsibility of maintaining health facilities as well and completing all the unfinished projects that were started from the previous government.
The Minister made the remarks in parliament on Tuesday in response to supplementary questions raised by some Members of Parliament (MP) pertaining to her Ministry.
She said her Ministry is aware of the challenges most health centres are facing which needs to be addressed.
Lilongwe Kumachenga MP, Marko Ching’onga asked the minister to consider constructing health personnel houses at Kandiyani Trading Centre where there is a newly built health facility which is not yet opened because of lack of houses.
“Iam asking the Ministry if they have immediate plans to provide houses at Kandiyani Health facility. If we can have that health facility operational, then people around the area will have close health services.” Ching’onga asked.
Mchinji North East MP, Esther Majaza, bemoaned lack of health care in her constituency.
She said people walk from Kapiri Trading Centre to Mchinji boma which is 50 kilometers away to access health care services.
Majaza, therefore, asked the Ministry to consider constructing a health centre at Kapiri Trading Centre for easy access of health services.
In response, Kandodo Chiponda assured the MPs that government will take responsibility to maintain and complete all the unfinished projects that Tonse Government inherited from the previous regime.
“My Ministry is aware that people are walking long distances to access health facilities in most districts of Malawi, especially in the hard to reach areas. It is an issue that we are looking very seriously.
“As government we are taking responsibility of constructing additional 350 health facilities, staff houses including unfinished projects that were started by the previous regime. We have already started the process to finish those projects,” she said.
Chiponda further said that the ministry has also started recruitment of health personnel such as clinicians as well as nurses.
