By Petro Mkandawire

Blantyre, October 13, Mana: Blantyre District Council has launched construction of Kadidi Health Post at Mtema Village, Traditional Authority (TA) Kapeni in the district.

Blantyre District Council Director of Health Services, Dr. Gift Kawalazira, expressed gratitude over the facility saying it will improve health delivery services in the area.

Health services at Mtema Village are currently being offered from rented premises due to lack of proper facilities with recommended standards and people in the area to walk about 11 kilometres in search of better health services.

“The new health post will improve health delivery as it will lessen the burden of preventable diseases. The facility will serve over 65, 000 people which means that Blantyre District Council is moving in line with Malawi 2063 development aspirations,” he said.

According to Blantyre District Council, construction of the facility will cost K700 million.

Kawalazira said in any process of sustainable human development, people's health must be the first priority hence the new facility.

Senior Chief Kapeni called on his subjects that stay closer to the project site, to safeguard construction materials.

He said theft of project material will not be tolerated as it is a major hindrance to development and compromises quality of infrastructure meant to serve people better.

“The new health post is strategic and a significant milestone in as far as provision of health services is concerned in this community. I would like to encourage communities to participate in supervising the project,” said Kapeni. 

Blantyre District Council Chairperson, Elson Dumuka, said people in the area have been aspiring for a health post since 2011. 

“The launch of this project has impressed me. As a council, we have finished our preparations and am happy to announce that the contractor will be on site soon to start construction,” he said.

Construction of Kadidi Health Post, which will be done through the World Bank funded Governance to Enable Service Delivery (GESD) project, is expected to be completed in six months.