Mhalaunda Forum gives Embangweni Mission Hospital 90-day deadline over health centre operations

The standoff highlights broader concerns about community ownership, access to healthcare services, and the role of faith-based institutions in Malawi’s health sector.

The Mhalaunda Citizens Forum has issued a 90-day ultimatum to Embangweni Mission Hospital, demanding that the institution wind up its operations at Mhalaunda Health Centre amid growing tensions over the facility’s ownership and management.

According to a letter seen by Malawi24, the directive was signed by the Forum’s Chairperson, John Chirwa, and formally delivered to the Principal Hospital Administrator at Embangweni Mission Hospital, Weston Kadwa, who has confirmed receipt of the document.

The development comes as the Forum awaits a response to a petition it previously submitted to the Ministry of Health through the M’mbelwa District Council.

However, authorities are yet to respond to the concerns raised by the community.At the heart of the dispute is the status of Mhalaunda Health Centre.

Community members argue that the facility, which was constructed through local contributions with support from World Vision, should operate as a public health institution rather than as a private entity.

Currently, the health centre is reportedly operating under the Christian Health Association of Malawi (CHAM) and is being supervised by Embangweni Mission Hospital an arrangement that residents strongly oppose.

The M’mbelwa District Council’s Directorate of Health told Malawi24 that Mhalaunda Health Centre is not listed in official district records as a government-owned facility, raising questions about its legal and administrative status.

As the 90-day deadline given to Embangweni Mission Hospital attention now turns to the Ministry of Health to provide clarity and resolve the impasse.