By Leonard Masauli

Lilongwe, October 11, Mana: The Deputy Minister of Health, Halima Alima Daud has hailed the launch of a multimillion Kwacha Intensive Care Unit and a dialysis machine at Partners in Hope (PIH), saying it will help to increase quality health care provision in the country.

Speaking after the launch on Friday afternoon, the Deputy Minister said the initiative is timely and will help to improve health care service provision to people in need of such services across the country.

“We are excited as government for the initiative by PIH, as you know we have these two units at Kamuzu Central Hospital, but we are always overwhelmed. So, this is good to offer an alternative and decongest the Central hospital and this means other patients will be coming here.

“As government we need more of these, because much as we have such services at PIH and Kamuzu Central, but they are not enough,” said Daud.

Executive Director at PIH, Dr Agness Moses, said PIH saw the gap of dialysis and Intensive Care Unit services in Lilongwe, and thought to cover the challenges by establishing the two units.

“We have invested a lot, and over a 100,000 USD for this initiative supported by African Mission Health Care Organization from Uganda.

“Malawians should expect that the two units will improve access and availability of ICU and dialysis services. People who could not be accommodated at the limited services such as the dialysis will have chance to come at PIH. Similarly for the ICU, people will be helped in case of critical illnesses,” said Dr. Moses.

Dr Moses said PIH works to align with priorities of government, and dialysis services as well as ICU demands are higher, hence the establishment of the two units to complement such effort.

About 50 patients have so far accessed the services at the facility since January this year.