“It is the worst situation that I have ever seen“, said Suzi Stephens, Medical Director of the Malawi Project. When a nurse that has over 20 years of experience dealing with African Hospitals says that, you know it has to be bad.
In the high mountainous areas south of the capital near the Mozambique border the lack of medical care available has been exacerbated by a large influx of refugees and population growth. The nearby Dedza District Hospital is completely overwhelmed by the need of people requiring medical care. Of particular note is the lack of pre-natal and birthing care. (Here is Suzi’s Description of the Dedza Facility.)
In this area the village people are among the poorest in Malawi, and almost no one has a motorized vehicle to reach the district hospital. A long, winding, pothole filled, road winds through the foothills, offering the only access to the main road, and the nearest hospital. The only transportation is the bed of an ox-cart, back of a bicycle, or by walking. For women about to deliver, and for those suffering serious injuries, the distance is just too great.
So…. we decided to do something about it. We decided we needed to build another healthcare facility nearer to the actual population that needed the services. The village chiefs decided that they would supply the bricks and build a road to the facility. The government decided that they would provide the permits.
All we need is for YOU to decide that you can help with the $140,000 to complete the birthing facility (the first step). Young mothers in Malawi need our help.