EWS Foundation Hands Over Health Post to Ntchisi Community
BY KONDWANI KANDIADO……
A local health organisation, Environmental, Water and Sanitation (EWS) Foundation has handed over a K7,126,000 worth village clinic to Ntchisi communities to help improve health service delivery in district.
The clinic is set to serve communities under Group Village headmen Chaseta and Nkhalamo in the area of Traditional Authority Malenga in Ntchisi which have a population of about 5,000 people.
The organisation’s executive director Mayamiko Kaponda says they had decided to assist the communities to help ease the distance people travel to access health services in the area.
“People cover a distance of about 15 kilometers to the nearest health facility so we found that there was need for the facility and we decided to assist,” said Kaponda.
He added: “Some children were dying along the way while some could not manage to travel long distances to the nearest health facility which is worrisome and an infringement of their right.”
Director of Health Services in Ntchisi Alinafe Kalanga Mjojo said the initiative is in line with the government effort of ensuring universal health coverage.
“We are greatly excited as a district office because this complements what is in the health sector strategic plan that we should have health services closer to people in a spirit of universal health coverage,” said Mjojo.
She added: “To have a health post here built by a local health organisation shows that people are interested and they own health services provision.”
She then asked other partners to emulate the example set by the organisation in building more health posts in the community to improve health service delivery.
“For your own information some of our Health Surveillance Assistants (HSA) work under a tree which is not ideal at all. It would be better that they should have a good post like this one and be based in the communities so that they help promote health service delivery,” she said.
He then commended the organisation for the initiative which she said will help communities receive basic services like immunisation, family planning among other services within reach.
Speaking at the same function, Councilor for Masangano ward, Mark Mphenzi Mtengo heaped praises for the organization saying the initiative will spur development in his area.
The health post has been constructed with funds from World Connect and thirty percent contribution from communities who mobilise bricks sand and quarry stones.
