The Mzimba Youth Organization (MYO) has called on the Government of Malawi to urgently deploy healthcare personnel to Mhalaunda Health Centre while commending the people of Mhalaunda for peacefully and lawfully fighting for the restoration of their constitutional right to access public healthcare services.
Speaking in an interview with Malawi24, MYO Executive Director Moses Nkhana praised the Mhalaunda community for holding public institutions accountable and advocating for improved service delivery through peaceful and lawful means.
“As MYO, we have closely followed developments surrounding Mhalaunda Health Centre, which had been operated by Embangweni Mission as a private facility despite having been constructed by the community. We are pleased that the people have finally regained their health facility. We are now calling upon the Mzimba South District Health Office (DHO) and the M’mbelwa District Council to immediately deploy health workers so that residents can begin accessing free public healthcare services,” said Nkhana.
He emphasized that providing healthcare is a constitutional responsibility of the government and urged the Mzimba South District Health Office and the M’mbelwa District Council not to use the shortage of healthcare personnel as a reason for delaying the deployment of staff to the facility.
“The government has a responsibility to ensure that every citizen has access to quality healthcare services. The district health authorities and the council should therefore prioritise the staffing of Mhalaunda Health Centre so that residents can receive the medical services they deserve,” he added.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Member of Parliament for Mzimba Solola Constituency, Rightwell Mahowe, also assured Malawi24 that he would work to ensure that people in his constituency receive the services they deserve.
“I will make sure that the people who elected me to represent them in Parliament receive these services. Since everything is now in place, we have no reason to delay,” said Mahowe.
Meanwhile, Minister of Health and Sanitation Madalitso Baloyi has assured the public that the government remains committed to ensuring that the people of Mhalaunda have access to quality healthcare services.
“It is the wish of President Peter Mutharika that people living in hard-to-reach areas should have access to quality healthcare services,” the minister told Malawi24.
The appeal by MYO comes amid longstanding concerns over the management of Mhalaunda Health Centre.
On several occasions, both the M’mbelwa District Council and the Mzimba South District Health Office indicated that they would not immediately deploy health workers if Embangweni Mission ceased operating the facility, citing a shortage of healthcare personnel.
According to the 2025 Presidential Election results, Mzimba Solola Constituency was among the constituencies in Mzimba District where President Peter Mutharika secured one of his highest vote totals, receiving 8,430 votes.
Community members have consistently maintained that Mhalaunda Health Centre was constructed for the benefit of the public and should therefore operate as a government health facility providing free healthcare services to all residents.
The latest appeal by MYO adds to growing pressure on the relevant authorities to ensure that Mhalaunda Health Centre becomes fully operational without further delay, enabling thousands of people in the area to access essential healthcare services closer to their homes.
