By Mary Makhiringa

Balaka, July 12, Mana: Deputy Minister of Health, Halima Daud on Thursday opened a K700 million multi drug resistant Tuberculosis (TB) Ward at Balaka District Hospital, which among other things, will reduce the problems that patients have been facing in the district.

With a growing population of investors in the mining sector, Balaka is prone to having more people suffering from TB and the construction of the ward has been described as timely.

Speaking after touring and inaugurating the structure, Daud said a good health system is important to any nation and revealed that government is investing in constructing 9000 health posts in the country so that health services are brought closer to people.

She said the intervention is also meant to reduce congestion at the district and central hospitals.

Said Daud: “This multi-drug resistant TB ward will go a long way in alleviating the many challenges Balaka District Health Office has been facing to treat those suffering from TB.

“Let me urge you all and those working in places prone to TB to rush to the hospital before it is too late. Every person in this country is important to help in the development agenda. This can only happen if we have healthy people, together we can continue to make significant strides in our fight against TB and ensure a healthier future for all.”

Director of Health and Social Services for Balaka District Council, Dr. Chimwemwe Thambo admitted that for years, the hospital has been struggling to refer patients to Queen Elizabeth or Kamuzu central hospitals which has been draining a lot of resources.

He however said the construction of the facility will help the district office to reduce such expenditures.

“With a population of over 600,000, every year, our district hospital sees not more than 12 patients with multi drug resistant TB. The construction of the ward is timely and each time we do not have a patient, the structure will be used to house other patients,” he said.

Balaka District Council Chairperson, Osman Mapira thanked government for the timely intervention, noting that the district is fast growing with more potential investors coming in to invest in the mining sector.

“We have seen Portland Cement Company investing, we also have the Lindian Company which is mining rare earth and again, our district produces Lime which in one way or the other leaves the surrounding community as well as those working in such factories prone to TB,” he said.

Mapira called on government to consider Balaka by constructing a befitting district hospital as the current one was a leprosy center donated by the Catholic Church.

Construction of the multi-drug resistant TB Ward was financed by the World Bank.

By Leah Malimbasa

Chikwawa, July 12, Mana: Deputy Minister of Local Government, Unity and Culture, Owen Chomanika has praised ongoing development projects in Chikwawa District, emphasizing the importance of ensuring high-quality construction standards.

He made the remarks following the ministry’s inspection visit to some of the projects in Chikwawa.

“I can see potential for quality work once the rehabilitation of a maternity wing and surgical theatre at Chikwawa District Hospital as well as the construction of Mivunza Bridge are completed,” he said.

“The council is doing well and for the defects we observed at Chikwawa District Hospital Maternity Wing project, the contractor has committed to fix them,” he said.

The deputy minister observed that such visits are important since they enable them to give timely input on ongoing projects, ensures great workmanship and that no one is sleeping on their job.

“I would also like to encourage the people here to take good care of the infrastructure and avoid theft, misuse and abuse of construction materials,” he said.

District Commissioner for Chikwawa, Nardin Kamba said the council strives to at provide good service to the people in all sectors including health and education and the attainment of this starts with good infrastructure development.

“We are happy that the Deputy Minister and the team are impressed with the works here and that the patients are now being accommodated in a good environment,” said Kamba.

He attributed good coordination and teamwork to the council’s impressive projects implementation.

Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government, Richard Hara concurred with the Deputy Minister saying the work is very impressive and that there is need to start utilizing the infrastructure as soon as projects are completed.

“We have visited Nkhudzi Community Day Secondary School project which is completed. So, we will write the Ministry of Education to start selecting learners to the school in a bid to increase chances of more learners securing space in secondary schools and shorten the distance that learners from around Nkhudzi walk to access education,” he said.

“We commend the District Commissioner and his team as well as chiefs, councilors and members of parliament in the district for working together to deliver quality projects in the district,” he said.

By Patience Longwe and Sellah Chunda

Dowa, July 11, Mana: Principal Secretary (PS) Responsible for Basic Education, Dr. Rachel Chimbwete Phiri has lauded the positive impact of the Manondo Primary School project, calling it a significant milestone in their implementation efforts.

Speaking on Thursday at Manondo Primary School in Dowa, she emphasized the community's active involvement, noting the encouraging progress made.

She acknowledged the challenges faced by the project and assured that the government was addressing them.

"Indeed, the concerns raised regarding the disbursement period of funds have been considered and adjustments are already underway," Dr. Chimbwete Phiri added.

Deputy Head Teacher of Manondo School, Wishes Kambanizithe expressed optimism about the project's potential to transform service delivery.

"The MERP Project will make learning more engaging for our students, particularly those who previously studied outdoors. They will now benefit from proper classroom environments," he stated.

Kambanizithe added that the positive impact on female students, particularly those on their menstrual period, who would now have access to dedicated changing rooms.

 "This will significantly help them stay in school, providing a private space to change or clean themselves as needed," he said.

MERP is constructing three blocks, consisting of six classrooms, at Manondo Primary School in Dowa.

By Chisomo Kambandanga

Nkhata Bay July 11, Mana: District Social Welfare Officer for Nkhata Bay, McSenscie Chagomerana has said their office has managed to rescue a two-year old girl who went missing in Ntcheu on June 11, 2024

He said Police were tipped by Sophie Mohammed a resident of the district who was left to take care of the child by a the mentally challenged woman who claimed the child was hers.

"We received a report about the child on June 18, 2024 from Nkhata Bay Police who were approached by Mohammed. Upon thorough investigation together with the Police, it was established that the woman who claimed to be mother to the child was once admitted at Zomba Mental Hospital, had no record of having a child and is a sex worker," Chagomerana said.

He said the office took custody of the child and was referred to Mzuzu Social Welfare Office as the search for her parents intensified.

The Officer disclosed that on July 5, 2024, they were contacted by Ntcheu Police who inquired about a missing child reported by some parents and they later confirmed she was the one.

Mohammed, the woman who was left with the child by the stranger, said the condition she saw the child in forced her to accept the responsibility of looking after her as the woman openly claimed she could not manage to provide good care.

"I reported the matter to police having noted some irregularities and inconsistent narration of events by the woman. I also thought it wise for the police to know in case anything had happened to the child while under my watch," Mohammed said.

A 31 year-old, Never Kambalame from Tsangano in Ntcheu District who is father to the child expressed relief upon being reunited with his daughter.

"Since our child went missing, the family had been traumatized leading to sleepless nights and loss of appetite. From now on, I will keep a close watch on my children to avoid such from happening again," he said.

According to Kambalame, the baby went missing on a market day as she was trying to follow her siblings who did not notice her coming leaving her mother sleeping in the house.

Nkhata Bay Police Public Relations Officer (PRO), Sergeant Kondwani James hailed coordination among all stakeholders that led to the rescue of the child.

By Solister Mogha

Zomba, July 11, Mana: Minister of Health, Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda has pledged government’s commitment to continue providing quality health services to Malawians.

Speaking in Zomba on Thursday when she commissioned four facilities at the Zomba Central Hospital, Chiponda said health care is one of the essential services that the government prioritizes in its plans and budgets.

Chiponda said increasing the number of health workers and improving infrastructure in all the health facilities are among the key drivers in achieving the goal.

She described the Infectious Diseases Unit, the CT scanner, Incinerator and the Multi-Drug Tuberculosis (TB) Ward as a giant step towards improving quality delivery of health services.

“We want our facilities to have everything at one place. When patients come for help, they should be able to get the assistance without being referred to another facility within the district,” Chiponda said.

She said: “From now onwards no-one will travel to Blantyre for CT scanning and the Infectious Diseases Unit whose main function is to accommodate emergency diseases will heavily support the district in times of disease out breaks since infectious diseases would be isolated than was the case in the past.”

Chiponda thanked the Germany government and the Global Fund for supporting the country's health sector.

“We are proud of this achievement but many thanks to the Germany government and the Global Fund for supporting us with resources to construct these facilities and also provide all the necessary equipment,” she said.

Germany Ambassador to Malawi, Ute Konig said Germany has keen interest in improving Malawi's health system by improving its infrastructure and equipping health facilities with the necessary equipment.

Konig pledged continued support in all health related areas, adding: “Germany has been a steadfast partner in improving quality and expanding coverage of health care provision for Malawians.

“Our current Germany portfolio to the health sector is as high as EUR 110 million (equivalent of MK205 billion) for both technical and financial cooperation.

“We would like to see Malawi’s health system transformed and we commit to supporting the country improve the quality of services to the people,” he said.  

A resident of Zomba, Herbert Banda said the opening of the four facilities was a major step and dream come true to the people of the old capital city.

“A facility such as Zomba Central Hospital is supposed to be fully fledged and no need for patients to be referred for further treatment elsewhere. Today, we are happy to see that our hospital has been equipped with more advanced machines and have new structures,” said Banda.

By Chisomo Sumani

Lilongwe, July 11, Mana: Recently, a new addition in technology has caught the attention of both vendors and consumers, an innovative sugarcane cutter that allows customers to buy and enjoy freshly cut sugarcane right on the spot. This new development is not only enhancing the market experience but also ensuring high standards of environmental hygiene and boosting Malawi's economy.

Traditionally, customers in Lilongwe purchase whole stalks of sugarcane to take home and cut themselves, often consuming it along the way and discarding trash wherever they see fit. This demanding process deterred many from regularly purchasing sugarcane for consumption.

This stood as a barrier to the economic stand, such an inconvenience has been eliminated with the presence of the sugarcane cutter, an equipment that enable sellers to swiftly cut the sugarcane into ready-to-eat pieces, providing an immediate treat for customers.

Aside from boosting the economy, the cutter which also assures hygiene, stands equipped with stainless steel blades, designed to be easily cleaned and sanitized ensuring that customers receive a safe and clean product.

The convenience and improved hygiene have led to a significant boost in sugarcane sales. Vendors report increased customer satisfaction and higher sales volumes. The ability to offer ready-to-eat sugarcane has attracted more customers, including those who were previously reluctant to buy it.

One of the merchandisers, Isaac Lusiyano, who goes around with his sugarcane cutter cycle said: “Most customers enjoy our provision as it is very inclusive and can be consumed everywhere, be it in an office, in your car or anywhere else.”

Lusiyano emphasized on the need for many to utilize the provision of fleshly cut ready to consume sugarcane.

Most residents in Lilongwe are unaware of this new development and still tend to throw sugarcane remains anywhere.

The advent and embrace of the cutter sets environmental hygiene to a notable standard, it is expected to observe a hygiene environment as customers are provided with two plastic bags, one for sugarcane and one for the remains, which is later collected by the sellers and later on sold to pig farmers for food, to other farmers for manure and more, something which was not done before.

In an article published by Nyasa times in 2014, One from Civil Society Agriculture Network (CISANET) said: “I think it is high time Malawi started thinking of recycling as a way forward with regards to waste management.”

He stressed that all Malawians ought to practice proper waste management especially at household level and keep their surroundings clean.

“Let us develop a "clean culture" and the Ministry of Local Government should learn from Rwanda how their counterparts there successfully nurture and groom the clean culture.

“Their streets are clean from cities to rural towns and villages. We have a sorry state in Malawi where people would chew sugarcane anyhow and litter the roads all over the place and we all just watch. We have to get started by engaging tough gears,” he added.

The advent of the sugarcane cutter portrays a revolutionized Malawi in its goal to achieving a healthy and safe environment for all to dwell in.

One of the customers Joseph White commended the development saying, “Things have improved, the process is hygienic and waste is separated, only if a lot of Malawians would adopt this new development our towns would look a lot better and improved.”

The sugarcane cutter has become a popular feature in Lilongwe market catching the attention of many who see it there, well known shops have also adopted the selling of fleshly cut sugarcane drawing both regular and new customers who are curious about it.

The introduction of the sugarcane cutter in Lilongwe’s markets is a shining example of how innovation can enhance traditional practices. By providing quick service and maintaining high hygiene standards, this development is greatly improving the market experience for both vendors and customers.

As the community continues to embrace this new technology, it promises to make Lilongwe's markets even more dynamic and enjoyable.

Next time you visit the market, be sure to stop by a vendor with the sugarcane cutter. Enjoying a fresh, hygienic treat on the spot and experience firsthand how this innovation is transforming the market.