By Memory Chatonda
Blantyre, April 12, Mana: About MK710 million has been injected into the construction of Kadidi Health Centre and medical staff houses in the area of Senior Chief Kapeni in Blantyre as one way of bringing health care services closer to the people.
The facility, which is to cover a catchment population of 65,000 people in Mtema Village and surrounding areas, will start functioning by May this year, offering outpatient services, and later on, maternity services.
Speaking this week, after inspecting the facility, District Commissioner for Blantyre, Alex Mdooko, expressed satisfaction with the construction works at Kadidi.
“I am satisfied with progress of the work, and once this project is fully completed, it will be considered as one of the flagship projects in Blantyre funded by Governance to Enable Service Delivery (GESD)," he said.
According to the DC, the council through GESD is also constructing Kachanga concrete bridge at Traditional Authority (T/A) Kuntaja and a classroom block in T/A Somba with funds amounting to MK103 million and MK89.9 million respectively, saying, “All these projects are at an advanced stage towards completion.”
Commenting on Kadidi project, Senior Chief Kapeni hailed government for introducing GESD, saying projects under GESD financially support the councils in implementing infrastructural development projects that are meant to benefit the rural population.
“In our case, this health facility will provide quality health care services to my subjects and they will access the services within reach. This will help to prevent deaths,” he added.
Chairperson of the building committee at Kachanga Bridge, Elson Chikalusa, said the committee will take ownership of the infrastructure to ensure that it benefits current and future generations.
GESD is a Malawi government project which is facilitated by the National Local Government Finance Committee and is implemented by local authorities among them Blantyre District Council.
Councils access funds to implement projects through performance-based grant, which is given to each council upon passing annual Local Authority Performance Assessment.
