By Wongani Mkandawire

Nkhotakota, April 15, Mana: Communities around the Mwansambo area say there is an expectation that the provision of maternal and antenatal health services will improve at the Mwansambo health clinic in Nkhotakota district with the completion of a new maternity wing at the Clinic.

In an interview with MANA, Mwafeyi Chimbatata of Chipafu village in the area of Senior Chief Mwansambo said in the past, pregnant women were facing challenges during delivery time as they occupied small rooms and some of them were referred to Nkhotakota district hospital, more than 70 kilometers away from the clinic.

Chimbatata said the completion of the maternity wing brings hope for improved medical attention at the clinic and will reduce complications that were earlier being faced.

“Now we are hopeful that the completion of this wing will help the communities who need maternal services be treated and supervised accordingly, as the room is adequate enough for all the necessary services,” added Chimbatata.

One of the expectant mothers at the clinic Mafunasi Lazalo, attributed the unavailability of good services to lack of good and modern health facilities and the bad state of the road making referrals difficult.

“The room which is used as a maternity wing is close to the Out-patient Department (OPD) which compromises women’s privacy when giving birth as other people outside the room hear or see what the women go through during labour, I have to commend officials for ensuring that the new modern wing be located far from OPD,” said Lazalo.

Meanwhile, Nkhotakota district council director of Finance Khumbo Masankhula said they are waiting for 2024/2025 funding for the procurement of equipment at the facility and other project as the budgeted amount was destabilized by Kwacha’s devaluation.

“We have submitted a report to the ministry of local government on the encounters that have contributed to the failure to purchase equipment as the amount which was allocated did not meet the requirements as a result of the 44 percent kwacha devaluation however, we are sure that by the end of April, the funding will be disbursed and the facility will become operational early May,” said Masankhula.

Nkhotakota District Council constructed a Mk112, 170, 755.22 maternity wing at Mwansambo Health Centre from performance-based grants received under the World Bank Project-Governance to Enable Service Delivery (GESD) project, which the Ministry of Local Government disbursed to 25 well-performing local councils.