Public urged to donate towards Mzimba hospital

Nation Publications Limited (NPL) has called on various organisations and individuals to partner with the publication during this year’s Mother’s Day Fun Run in order to help Mzimba district hospital.

The donations will be used for buying medical equipment for the hospital as one way of ensuring safe motherhood for women in the country.

The 2016 edition of Mother’s Day Fun Run, scheduled for October 8, will see mothers and health workers at Mzimba hospital being relieved of some of the challenges that have marred the facility.

According to statistics, 3,400 women die of pregnancy in Malawi per year while 14,000 babies die before they celebrate their first birthday.

Information from the Ministry of Health shows that Mzimba District has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the Northern Region and is currently facing a critical shortage of maternal and neonatal healthcare equipment.

In a statement made available to Malawi24, NPL disclosed that the hospital has also been hit with challenges that are linked to population growth.

“Mzimba district covers an area of 10,430 km² and has a population of 610,944 which depends on the poorly resourced hospital and its satellite health centres.

“Our plans are to buy the following for the hospital and its satellite heath centres: Ultra Sound scanning machine, Delivery beds and mattresses, Angle poise lamp, Auto Clave Machine, Examination Couches, Vacuum extractor electric, Vacuum extractor manual, Oxygen concentrators, in just mentioning some but a few,” reads part of the statement.

NPL has since appealed to well-wishers to support the fun run that targets to have MK80 million for Mzimba hospital.

Mother’s Day Fun Run is an annual corporate social responsibility project organized by NPL in support of safe motherhood by taking care of the wellbeing of expectant mothers and their unborn children through provision of maternal and neonatal healthcare equipment and supplies to needy, poorly funded and under-resourced public hospitals and health centres in the country.

Established in 2005, the fun run has since supported eleven hospitals in the country with Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (QUECH) being the first to enjoy the charity gesture.