By Vincent Gunde
Minister of Agriculture who is also Member of Parliament for Dowa North East Constituency Sam Dalitso Kawale, has expressed gratitude to government for committing resources to go a long way towards rehabilitation of Mwangala Health Centre in his area.
Kawale said government has given to the people of the constituency something which they did not expect and it is beyond their expectation claiming that the health facility was built in 1972 and was in very dilapidated state.
Speaking at the launch of the rehabilitation project, Kawale said the health facility will now wear a new face totally different from what it was before claiming that the situation was a mess and today, it will have more structures such as Out-Patient Department (OPD), Washing room, maternity, laboratory and staff houses.
Kawale said the health facility has received an overwhelming response and is beyond what they requested for saying the people of the area requested for a new Health Centre but government has provided more.
He said the rehabilitation of Mwangala Health Centre is timely because there was no laboratory, maternity and the structures were all in bad shape as they could have fallen down and injuring people looking at the year it was built in 1972.
The legislator said he had time to talk to the contractor to finish everything on time as the duration is 16 weeks and the communities who agreed to assist not to divert any building materials for personal use.
“The communities have agreed to assist the contractor in looking after the building materials from being diverted for personal use,” said Kawale.
In his remarks, District Director for Health and Social Services for Dowa Dr. Peter Makoza, said the health facility is number one dilapidated in the district starting from the structures, which pose danger to the patients using it.
Dr. Makoza said with the coming of the new facility in the area, people are assured to be provided with good quality health services as it will have components with external works with five more staff houses to be constructed.
Mwangala Health Centre was built in the border benefiting the people of two districts; Dowa and Ntchisi.
