Lack of bathroom at health centre affecting patients

Patients and guardians at Chankhungu Health Centre in Dowa have stayed days without bathing because the only bathroom that was at the health centre got damaged by a tree that fell on it.

Heavy rains on Wednesday in the area forced the big tree which was providing fresh air to the patients and guardians while sitting under it to fall down and in the process damaging the bathroom at the health centre.

Dowa District Disaster Risk Management Team and the District Health Officer, Friday, visited the health centre to see the extent of the damage with the miseries of patients, guardians and expectant women all lying helplessly after spending days without taking a bath.

Speaking in an interview with Malawi24, the Medical Assistant in charge of the Health Centre Aubrey Mtondera said no any injuries occurred during the incident but the bathroom was extensively while the guardian shelter and kitchen were left with small cracks.

Some guardians at the Health Centre, Msadalira Jesamuti and Liviness Joseph, told Malawi24 that some of them bath at night so that they should not been seen by the others.

Jesamuti and James said the development has also negatively affected expectant women who are staying without taking baths.

They expressed fears that with the eruption of cholera disease which has not spared the area, many people in and around Chankhungu Health Centre are likely to be affected by the killer disease.

The two women then called upon the management of the health centre to build a bathroom quickly.

In his remarks, Village Headman Mtumodzi of the area of Traditional Authority Chiwere in the district said currently chiefs and the communities of the area are mobilizing burnt bricks and sand soil for the construction of a new bathroom, kitchen and guardian shelter saying they are just lacking cement and iron sheets.

Mtumodzi appealed to NGOs, stakeholders and well-wishers to come in and assist them to ensure that the bathroom is back into full use for the communities to enjoy the social basic services at Chankhungu Health Centre in the district.