Kawinga Health Centre Starts Maternity Services

Esther Jolobala, the area's Member of Parliament, says pregnant women will no longer have to travel more than 20 kilometres to Ntaja health centre to access maternity services.

Malawi: People in the Machinga area have praised the government through the ministry of health for issuing a directive requiring maternity services to be provided at the Kawinga Health Centre, which the council has followed, writes Judgement Katika.

Esther Jolobala, the area's Member of Parliament, says pregnant women will no longer have to travel more than 20 kilometres to Ntaja health centre to access maternity services, which will save lives and resources.

"The Deputy Minister of Health directed the DC and DHSS to open the maternity section within 14 days; today, I am pleased to inform you that the maternity wing is now open," Jolobala stated.

Last month, Deputy Minister of Health Enock Phale-MP toured the facility to appreciate Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene interventions, noting that maternity services were not available at the health centre due to some challenges that could have been resolved at the council level.

Phale directed the Machinga District Commissioner and Director of Health and Social Services to address the issue within two weeks so that mothers could begin to access maternity services.

According to Jolobala, the first delivery at the health centre occurred on Saturday, November 19, 2022, when a baby girl was born and named after the deputy minister's daughter Hadassah in appreciation for the decisive directive that resulted in the opening of the services.