The pathetic state of Kochilira Health Centre in Mchinji, built 66 years ago, has forced health authorities to call for an urgent assessment report on the facility’s pressing needs for possible intervention in a bid to ensure it meets communities’ growing health care demands.
Deputy Minister of Health, Enock Phale ordered for the assessment report on Monday after chiefs and other stakeholders in the district took turns narrating the facility’s sorry state as the country commemorated Universal Health Coverage-UHC.
Chairperson for Kochilira Health Centre Management Committee, Jacob Chatsika said World Health Organization’s declaration on the elimination of leprosy in 1994 prompted government to suddenly dump the facility and its myriad challenges.
Due to inadequate government’s support, health authorities in the district resorted to turning it into a male health clinic.
Traditional Authority Zulu said it was unbelievable seeing the health center failing to conduct even minor operations when it used to be a powerful and reliable decades ago.
“This facility used to serve people from more than four traditional authorities and was well known in offering quality health services. But now, patients are being sent to scramble for health services at Mchinji district hospital,” said Zulu.
In his remarks, Mchinji Central lawmaker Jephter Mwale said the hospital would still remain trapped in huge problems even if he spent the whole K100-million Constituency Development Fund the area receives every year.
Meanwhile, health rights activist, Maziko Matemba and WHO representative Nima Kimambo implored government to allocate
adequate resources to the health sector to address the prevailing poor health care services.
The UHC was commemorated under the theme: Build the world we want: A healthy future for all.
In the 2022/2023 fiscal year, government allocated K283.57 billion to the health sector; representing 10 percent of the total budget but still fell short of the 15 percent allocation demanded by the 2001Abuja Declaration.
