By Alex Kachingwe

Blantyre, August 17, Mana: Blantyre District Health Office (DHO) has secured funds from AMECA Trust to renovate Chilomoni Health Centre maternity wing in an attempt to provide enough accommodation for women who seek maternal health services at the facility to ensure safe motherhood.

Following the development, Blantyre DHO held a sensitization meeting at Chilomoni Health Centre to inform community leaders on the forthcoming project, and a Memorandum of Understanding it has signed with Mitsidi Health Centre to allow maternal cases from Chilomoni Health Centre to access maternity services at the facility, as Chilomoni maternity wing will be temporarily closed from August 26.

Speaking during the meeting, Blantyre District Health Promotion Officer, Chrissy Banda said the expansion of the maternity wing would be of great importance as it will increase bed space at the facility.

Banda said the community sensitization meeting will help to spread the message to a wide range of maternal mothers in Chilomoni and surrounding areas to avoid delays on women accessing maternity delivery services that would result into serious maternal complications.

In her remarks, Trinity Kaliwamba, Facility In-charge for Chilomoni Health Centre hailed the project, saying it will improve maternity delivery services at the centre.

Kaliwamba said besides the renovation of the maternity wing, there will be a renovation of dental studio which is a positive agent in improving dental services at the facility.

On her part, Group Village Head Luya pledged to disseminate correct information to her subjects.

GVH Luya said she has welcomed the project to renovate the maternity wing at Chilomoni Health Centre, describing it as very important since it will help a lot of women access maternity services from Chilomoni, Mbayani and Chemusa.

The expansion project will commence on September 2 and is expected to finish in a space of three months.