Construction of the K38 million Chimombo Health Post in Traditional Authority (TA) Chimombo’s area in Nsanje District is expected to reduce maternal and child deaths as most women will be able to deliver under the watch of a trained expert at the facility.
Maria Paul from Jambasa Village in the area of TA Chimombo said the health post will accord women to give birth at health facility as it would reduce long distances they travel to access maternal services.
“We usually go to Ndamera or Mbenje Health Centres which is a distance of between seven and 10 kilometres, respectively. During the rainy season it always becomes difficult to access medical services because of flooding of rivers that are on the way to the two health centres,” she said.
Fainess Yohane from Bedi Village in the same area said Mbenje Health Centre, where they have been receiving medical services, was mostly affected by floods during the rainy season, saying each year there are floods, the hospital is usually closed making most women not to go for antenatal or take their children to under-five clinic.
TA Chimombo was amused that government through Governance to Enable Service Delivery (GESD) has bailed out his subjects from the challenges they face when seeking medical services.
Chimombo expressed hope that the health post would help reduce maternal and child deaths in his area which has a catchment population of over 30, 000.
According to Nsanje District Socio-Economic Profile 2017-2022, in 2017, at least 96 out of 100,000 women died due to maternal complications.
By Robert Nayeja – Malawi News Agency
