By Owen Nyaka – correspondent
Salima district hospital(SDH) with its ageing infrastructure is likely to be one of the prone areas of infectious diseases, if the outstanding issue of inadequate maintenance especially on its main theater, laundry and kitchen could be left unattended.
An investigation indicates that the major district hospital theater has for a period of over five (5) months run without its major equipment – called autoclave chamber, which sterilizes medical or laboratory instruments by heating them at boiling point.
This comes when there is huge demand on cervical cancer screening to 16,268 on women of child bearing population within the district.
The non-functional autoclave machine was procured long time ago before the hospital was officially opened by Malawi’s first President, Dr. Kamuzu Banda on 15th September, 1989.
The current small sterilizer which is being used in the main hospital theater is also on higher risk of damage because Salima district has salty water which affects the operation of the machine in the absence of the distilled water, which is also costly and needs its budget.
Salima district has a population of 478, 346 people according to the 2018 National Population Census report and the district hospital serves about 70,731 people. The SDH has also been a non-functional heavy duty washing machine at the laundry.
There is only one machine which is in operation. The two heavy duty washing machines were procured in Italy during the inception of the hospital and to find its spare parts locally it has been a very big challenge.
The washing machines were very instrumental on the hospital’s hygiene especially in cleaning beddings of patients.
One area that needs cleanness is the labour ward because beddings are essential to be changed regularly. This is happening when there are a lot of deliveries.
For instance, in the fiscal year 2018/19 alone, the hospital has been conducting 570 deliveries monthly, meaning about 6, 840 babies were born in the dilapidated Salima hospital.
It has been also established that the district hospital kitchen, the electrical pots are not functional, instead they are cooking on firewood outside the hospital and they are using 10 tonnes of firewood every months for three years, meaning that the district hospital has used about 360 tonnes of firewood, which are hectors of forestry.
This means the hospital has been fueling deforestation in the district which is usually hit by floods. C
ooking outside is also nothygiene as sometimes the whirlwind
Acting Director of Health Services for Salima, Dr. Yonasi Chiseconfirms that indeed the hospital is in need of urgent attention for maintenance services and they would need about MK7 million to buy new electricity pots and to maintain the old pots it would require about MK850,000 according to the quotation that was sourced.
“In our main theater, an autocracy machine has not been functional close to half a year now, spacing in our pharmacy within the hospital is a challenge and in laundry there is only one machine operating.
“We are currently appealing to well-wishers to assist us in serving our hospital and this appeal should be regarded as a matter of urgency otherwise we will work up one day only to see that the main theater and laundry are completely shut down,” says Dr. Chise while sounding SOS.
The more the problems are left unattended is the more damaged it can caused.
Commenting on the matter, Chairperson of the Health Services Committee Councilor Ephraim Manthepa said as a council they will sit down and explore other alternatives but he still pleaded with other well-wishers to come in and help the situation at Salima district hospital. Manthepa still pleaded with other well-wishers to come in and help them.
Salima Central Parliamentarian, Gerald Kapiseni Phiri said he is aware of the malfunctioned of a lot of equipment’s at the district hospital and he was quick to say in this session of parliament, he has written the Minister of Health to include issues of the ageing hospital to be included on question paper.
“I am also told of the hospital sewage system needs renovation and the hospital also needs some fence.It is long overdue since the hospital was rehabilitated but for my commitment as parliamentarian for the constituency, I will make sure that if there is any chance of DDF and CDF, we can use the money to contribute in renovating few things,” says Phiri.
He, however say the good news is that I have taken it to my fellow Parliamentarians in the district and that we have joined hands
Salima district health sector covers the entire district with its twenty (20) health facilities namely, Salima Hospital, BLM clinic, Makioni, Thavite, Khombedza, Chitala, Chinguluwe, Katawa, Kaphatenga, Lifuwu, Parachute Battalion clinic, Sengabay Baptist, MAFCO, Maganga, Old Hospital, Chagunda, Mchoka, Chipoka, Ngodzi and Life line.
