By Salome Gangire

Neno, October 24, Mana: Government has said Kambale Health Post and three other facilities built in hard-to-reach areas will be operational by December 2024.

Minister of Health, Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda was speaking Wednesday after inspecting Kambale Health Post in Neno District.

Chiponda reaffirmed government’s commitment to improving access to healthcare in remote areas particularly in hard-to-reach areas.

“Almost all the work is done and now we are focusing on bringing in equipment. Within two months, the health post will start offering services such as immunization, under-five clinics and other essential healthcare services,” said Chiponda.

She added that Kambale Health Post along with the three others was constructed with financial support from the Global Fund as part of President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera’s initiative to build 900 health posts across the country in underserved areas, aiming at reducing the distances that communities travel to access healthcare.

Chiponda said the facility includes a health post and two staff houses; therefore, encouraged partners involved in constructing health facilities to also include staff houses ensuring that healthcare personnel can live nearby and serve the communities better.

“We are grateful to partners like the Global Fund which supported the construction of 55 health posts. Other posts are funded by the Malawi Government and other partners like Malawi Red Cross Society and GTI,” she added.

She, therefore, called on more partners from the private sector to come forward and help government improve healthcare services and accessibility for all communities.

Addressing requests from the community to add a maternity wing to the health post, Chiponda urged local residents to protect the facility from encroachment, saying the Ministry would engage partners to explore the possibility of upgrading the health post to a health centre in the future.

Village Head Chimchembere expressed gratitude to the government for the new health post, noting that his subjects had been walking long distances to Neno District Hospital for medical assistance.

Director of Health and Social Services, Dr. Enoch Ndalama also commended the government for establishing the health posts, stating that they would significantly improve healthcare access for communities that had to travel more kilometers to reach a hospital.

He confirmed that the District Health Office is ready to deploy staff to the new facility.

Other health posts which have been constructed in hard-to-reach areas include Gonthi, Golden and Feremu.

The minister also inspected Matandani Health Centre.