In a gesture aimed at bringing dignity and respect to the labour ward, the Malawi Gaming and Lotteries Authority (MAGLA) has donated curtains worth K6.7 million and assorted items worth K1.4 million to the Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (QECH) maternity ward.
The donation is expected to improve the maternity ward’s environment, providing a more private and comfortable space for mothers. MAGLA Director General Rachel Mijiga said the Authority felt compelled to support the hospital’s need.
“The Hospital reached out to us saying there was a great need for curtains in the maternity wing cubicles to observe the dignity of mothers when giving birth. So, we felt compelled to come in and support the hospital. As you have seen the numbers, every 51 minutes, a new baby is born,n, which is not easy for the medical staff.
“The curtains that covered the maternity ward and the cubicles cost K6.7 million and we also got salt, wrappers, bar soap, and buckets for the newborn babies costing us K1.4 million,” said Mijiga.
QECH Midwifery Specialist Christina Chapotera-Mbiza thanked MAGLA for the curtain donation, noting its impact on patient care.
“These curtains will help us provide dignity to mothers by promoting respectful maternity care and privacy in all 24 beds in the labour ward,” she said.
Mbiza added that the ward handles around 30 deliveries daily, mostly complicated cases, given its status as a referral hospital.
