Anxiety and uncertainties have gripped rural people’s hearts in Malawi’s central district of Kasungu as to where to access health services as over 15 health centres under Local Development Fund (LDF) project were abandoned for the past three years due to misappropriation of fund in the district council.
This comes amid cries of the district’s populace due to long walking distance to get health services including and HIV/AIDS patients on ARVs accessibility, antenatal, immunization under five children and family planning.
The visit to the district’s constituencies over the weekend revealed that 15 health centres were abandoned two or three years ago which according to district council records shows that MK20 million is required to finish each health centre.
Chambwe health centre, in Sub-Traditional Authority Chambwe in Kasungu South East Constituency is one of such deserted health centres which has affected many people including HIV/AIDS patients who are having difficulties in accessing the life prolonging drugs, ARVs as they walk a distance of 20 kilometres.
This has put pressure on Chamwabvi health centres in the same constituency which has only one nurse serving over 48, 000 people.
Dailoni Semu is one of the Chambwe HIV/AIDS Supporting group members who expressed dismay over the abandonment of their health facility as it has put their lives are at risk.
“Deserting of the our health centre has dashed hopes of accessing the drugs at nearby health facility. This has put our lives in danger as we walk long distance to get medication. Therefore, were appealing to authority to fast track the opening of the health centres as soon as possible to serve our lives”, urges Semu.
Sub Traditional Authority Chambwe confirmed in an interview on the development saying the situation was pathetic which needed urgent attention.
“Upon given such a health centre, my subjects were geared with the developmental mind towards its construction but were later being betrayed on the course. Misguided district’s officials connived with some junior chiefs to operate against Area Development Committee (ADC)’ procedures on such a project.
“They even borrowed 50 bags of cement and shared among themselve but when asked later, they refused to pay back such that now we are planning to take them to police on the same for them to pay back the cement which was meant for the same purpose of health centre and two school blocks in my area”, explains STA Chambwe.
Several phone calls attempt to get responses from Enerst Kaphuka, Kasungu District Council’s Director of Planning proved futile as he was not picking up his mobile phone.
Khumbize Kandondo Chiponda, Member of Parliament for the area minced her words describing the situation as a serious violation of people’s rights in accessing health quality services.
“The nine months stay in the offices as a Member of Parliament of the area has been a tough one with several calls for me to act on the abandonment of Chambwe health centre. Its violating people’s lives particularly women and children. I have visited each and every offices which were part of the project but nothing is coming out.
“However, Kasungu district council developmental planning records show that the health centre was fully funded but we don’t know what actually happened. This time around, I’m taking the issue to Parliament for the line ministry to give the right response on the matter”, charges MP Chiponda.
