Malawi’s leading mobile telco, TNM has today donated three Oxygen Concentrator machines to Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital worth K3.6 million.
The donation is in response to a fundraising appeal the hospital made recently when it organized a fun-run in aid of Chatinkha Maternity Unit.
Speaking during the handover ceremony at QECH, Head of Blantyre Region David Nyirenda said TNM appreciates the role of oxygen concentrators in saving life and was concerned about their shortage at the hospital. Prior to the donation, the Chatinkha Unit, the country’s oldest maternity wing had one oxygen concentrator.
“As a Malawian company we are concerned that the hospital’s maternity wing has only one oxygen concentrator. This was not enough considering the fact that there is an average of four patients needing oxygen therapy at any given time,” said Nyirenda.
Doctors at the hospital led by Professor Frank Taulo, the head of obstetrics and gynaecology at College of Medicine on May 31 organized a fundraising fun run aimed at raising money for the purchase of various medical equipment for the hospital as well as creating awareness on the plight medical personnel at the hospital face in the course of delivering health services.
“Doctors and all medical personnel at this hospital should be commended for coming out in the open and organizing the fundraising campaign. It just shows that they have the plight of patients at heart. Let me also thank them for their selfless commitment to saving life, despite the challenges posed by shortage of equipment,” said Nyirenda.
In her remarks Chatikha Maternity unit matron Edith Tewesa thanked TNM for the timely donation saying the wing had only one operating oxygen concentrators machine.
“We are really grateful to TNM for this assistance which will go a long way in reducing the challenges that the unit has been experiencing. In labour ward we have complications that need oxygen concentrators and with this assistance from TNM our goal to have health mothers and babies,” said Tewesa.
Chatikha maternity wing delivers an average of 40 babies a day.
