Kamuzu Central Hospital Receives Much Needed Supplies
Lilongwe, Malawi … Kamuzu Central Hospital is located between the seat of government and the old town portion of Lilongwe. It symbolically spans the gap between the past and the present, and it lists itself as having over 1,000 beds. As the main referral hospital in the country, Kamuzu Central is overwhelmed with patients needing assistance. While the facility was originally constructed to help people in the central region, it has become a referral hospital accepting patients from a far wider region. “Overwhelmed”, does not adequately describe the situation, and because of this fact, patient care leaves many without proper, or even adequate, health care.
Recently this facility received a boost after Action for Progress donated medical supplies worth over MK2.5 million. In his remarks after receiving the donation, the hospital director Dr. Jonathan Ngoma expressed his gratitude for the donation. He said the facility continues to face massive shortages but emphasized how the supplies from this NGO have always been timely and of the highest quality, “higher than those they receive from other sources.”
“We don’t need money,” he said, “we need supplies and equipment so we can serve the people.”
Apart from helping impoverished people, the supplies will also help reduce the expense budget for the hospital. Facility workers will be in a better position to provide quality service to patients because of the supplies, and these supplies will help reduce disease transmission from patients to hospital personnel, and from fellow workers.
The supplies include examination and surgical gloves, sutures, suction catheters, ultrasound solutions, medicines and Pharmacy uniforms among others. These supplies were made available with support from the Malawi Project – a USA based organization.
Supplies continue to flow into the hands of Action for Progress from the Malawi Project, even as the new distribution hub is being constructed west of the city.
