By Kondwani Magombo

Lilongwe, March 8, Mana: Japanese embassy to Malawi on Friday signed a K60 million grant with Lilongwe City Council for importation of an ambulance to serve the population of the city.

The signing ceremony took place at the Japanese embassy in the city where Japanese ambassador to Malawi, Yoichi Oya, said the grant aims to improve health service delivery in Lilongwe City.

Oya noted that the Lilongwe City Council makes a lot of efforts to provide quality health services to its population of more than one million.

However, the Japanese ambassador observed that the growing population has made it difficult for the council to provide adequate health service, hence the grant.

He said: "In particular, the lack of ambulances causes difficulty to deal with urgent patients.

"We are assured that the ambulance provided by the project will be beneficial to the residents particularly those in need."

Oya called on the Lilongwe City Council to provide the required care and maintenance for the ambulance.

According to the ambassador the project is funded by the government of Japan under "the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human security Projects".

Oya said Japan "will spare no effort to support Malawi to achieve the goal of MW2063".

In his acceptance, Lilongwe Council Mayor, Richard Banda, said he was excited with the grant saying it has come at the right time.

Banda also thanked the Japanese embassy for its continued support to Lilongwe City Council, citing earlier projects such as construction of a health Centre at Biwi, in Lilongwe.

The mayor appealed to other stake holders and development partners to emulate the gesture shown by the Japanese embassy and support the council in a number of areas.

Principal Secretary for Health (Administration) Beston Chisamile, also thanked the Japanese embassy for the grant, saying the Japanese government has always been supportive to the health sector.

Chisamile cited Ulongwe Health Centre in Balaka as one of the projects that the Japanese embassy has contributed to the Ministry.

The PS appealed to the Council to put the ambulance, once imported, so that it serves the intended purpose.