By Wongani Mkandawire & Innocent Chunga

Nkhotakota, May 21, Mana: Construction of a maternity wing, a guardian shelter, two houses for health workers, and toilets at Kaongozi Health Centre has given hope for improved access to health service delivery to communities in the area of Senior Chief Kanyenda in Nkhotakota District.

In an interview with Malawi News Agency in Nkhotakota on Monday, chairperson for the Health Management Committee (HMC) for Kaongozi Health Centre, Emmanuel Chimunthu, said he hopes the project would address challenges that women face in walking long distances to access maternal treatment at Nkhunga and Ngala Health Centre, which are 12 kilometres and 15 kilometres away, respectively, from their community.

"We are grateful to the Government of Iceland, Malawi Government, and Nkhotakota District Council, through the Nkhotakota basic services programme, for considering people around Kaongozi to have a maternity wing and other improved infrastructures around their health Centre," said Chimunthu.

Wilson Chatambalala, who is clinical officer in charge, said the facility used to refer women to nearby health facilities to access maternal health services, but now the services will be available at the facility, marking huge strides in providing quality health services to the communities.

"We provide medical services to over 300 people around the facility, but some are expectant women and are referred to nearby facilities. Once the infrastructure is completed, we will have the capacity to provide maternal services fully," said Chatambalala.

Nkhotakota Basic Services Programmes lead for Iceland, Alice Nthenda Msosa, said the infrastructures such as Kaongozi are meant to enhance service delivery in the targeted areas to improve the standards of living for people in the district.

She said Government of Iceland has committed to improve infrastructure development in various sectors, including health, within the lakeshore district.

Government of Iceland, Malawi Government and Nkhotakota District Council are implementing a multi-billion-kwacha project called Nkhotakota Basic Services Programme (KKBSP) valued at K11.4 billion in the first four years to support health, education, water, and sanitation sectors.