By Beni Bamusi

Thyolo, January 30, Mana: Minister of Health Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda has officially opened Lomola Health Centre in Thyolo to ensure universal health coverage.

Addressing the people at the health post on Wednesday after opening the facility, Chiponda thanked Global Fund for financing the project, saying the new facility has reduced distance in-between facilities. 

“We are very excited that we have officially opened the Lomola Health Post; this shows  government’s commitment to ensure people do not walk more than five kilometers to access health services. We are grateful to our partners, Global Fund, for providing resources,” she said, adding that the facility will be connected with solar energy while waiting for ESCOM grid power. 

The minister appealed to the health post workers to be dedicated to duty to ensure they provide better services to communities and further appealed to communities to refrain from encroaching the land around the facility.

Chiponda said encoachment of the land has potential to hamper plans to extend the facility into a health center. 

Lomola Health Centre Medical Assistant Marvelous Chingwanda said before construction of the facility, people in the area had to walk 20 kilometers to access medical assistance at Thyolo District Hospital. 

He said the facility was providing outpatient services, patients short-stays, antenatal care, postnatal and sexual reproductive health services among others. 

In his remarks, Senior Chief Ndalama expressed gratitude for the health post, saying it has reduced  distance that people covered to access medical care.

He therefore thanked late Mr. Namphota who donated land for the facility and vowed to take care of the facility to continue serving people in his area. 

The chief added that the facility serves people not only in Traditional Authority Ndalama but also those fromTraditional Authorities Nanseta, Kapichi and Nthiramanja in Mulanje District.

Lomola Health Post  has a catchment of 18,620 people.