Mwanza District, Malawi … In a recent report about healthcare in Malawi, UNICEF noted, “Mwanza District Hospital, located near the southern border of Malawi, provides crucial care to many of the country’s most vulnerable families.” Through the Malawi Project’s supply distribution depot at the Namikango Mission in Thondwe, critically needed supplies are sent to the Mwanza District Hospital. Wilson Tembo, the Director for warehouse operations watches over the distribution of these supplies, then follows up to insure the supplies go to those to whom they are intended. After a recent trip to the small health care center at Msipe, he then set out to conduct a visit to one of the major facilities in the south, the district hospital at Mwanza. The following are his observations.
“Having a picture of a small health facility like Msipe, one may think the situation is better in some main hospitals of the country,” Wilson starts his report. “But contrary to expectations, these government run centers are in a critical situation with many challenges when it comes to acquiring drugs and equipment that are needed to deliver health care to the masses.”
“A few days after visiting Msipe in central Malawi, we made some donations to the southwestern district hospital of Mwanza. This hospital serves a population of 94,000 people, near the Malawi-Mozambique border. Like Msipe, it has a massive task in trying to serve the needs of the people because of inadequate supplies. The District health Officer, Dr. Bwanali Jereni confirms that with a 250-bed capacity, the hospital has over 350 patients at a time. This means that over 100 people sleep on the floor without beds and mattress.”
“Dr. Bwanali Jereni explains why there is such a high population count of patients at this hospital. ‘More patients come from neighboring Mozambique, and other districts like Chikhwawa and Neno, because of the geographical position of this area. It is impractical for patients to walk to the Chikhwawa District Hospital, or to other centers in Neno. As a result they flock to Mwanza, because it is accessible. The roads are poor and hilly in the other areas so people prefer to come to our hospital. This increases our count, and the need for more supplies goes up.’”
“Like Msipe Health Centre in Central Malawi, Mwanza district Hospital has a high number of cases of malaria, HIV/AIDS related cases, pneumonia, tuberculosis, measles and malnutrition. There is a critical need for oxygen concentrators, mattress, beds and Elite glucometers.”
“At the conclusion of our visit, Dr. Bwanali Jereni thanked the supporters for making available the donation of syringes, orthopedic supplies, beddings, walkers, toilet chairs, and other medical supplies. The doctor observed they will make a big impact on the people along the border region.”
Report by Wilson Isaac Tembo