By Manasse Nyirenda

Rumphi, July 11, Mana: Rumphi district council on Wednesday launched the construction of two health facilities and a school block, all worth K467 million which will be funded through Governance to Enable Service Delivery (GESD) project.

The council launched construction of K151 million outpatient (OPD) health facility at Kamphenda, a K99 million school block at Chirambo Primary School and a maternity wing worth K217 million at Mphompha Health Centre.

Chairperson for Rumphi District Council, Harry Munyenyembe said the projects will improve provision of healthcare and education services within the targeted areas.

Director of Health and Social Services (DHSS) for Rumphi district council, Dr. Arnold Jumbe said people will access health care services at their doorsteps once the health related facilities are completed and operational.

He added, the intervention will also ease pressure on Rumphi District Hospital and patients’ guardians will also be glad to care for their relations closer to their homes.

“About 561 expectant mothers at Mphompha seek maternity services at the district hospital annually and this comes with a lot of pressure on the main facility in the district,” said Jumbe.

Member of Parliament for Rumphi West, Yona Mkandawire urged contractors who will work on the projects against compromising on quality but deliver value for money structures.

Group Village Head Kaskembe said the OPD at Kamphenda will significantly cut the distance which people cover to access health care services at Mwazisi Health Centre which is over 12 kilometers away.

Rumphi district council was one of the best performing local authorities in Local Authority Performance Assessment (LAPA) in 2023 and is expected to receive at least K332 million from GESD for its performance. 

GESD is a Malawi Government performance based grant which is funded by the World Bank.