By Vincent Gunde
Communities surrounding Madzo Maternity Wing in the area of Senior Chief Chakhaza in Dowa district, says they have plans to meet the Health Minister for a possible explanation surrounding completion of their maternity wing in the district.
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The communities said over half a billion Malawi Kwacha has been spent towards completion of the hospital since the Dowa District Council took over the project which was initiated by the communities themselves between 2019 and 2021 through self help projects.
They said Council officials have been coming to the area to launch the project disclosing the figures but they don’t see any impact that the hospital can open for public use anytime soon.
Senior Group village headman Chimanda of the area told journalists on a media that Council officials do not come to them of the reasons why the contractor has been terminated of his job but only launching the project disclosing the amount of funds to be used.
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The Village head said in August, 2025 the Dowa District Hospital sent a nurse to work at the facility without medical equipment lamenting that pregnant mothers are taking a long distance from the area to Madisi Mission Hospital to deliver a thing which is life threatening to both the mother and the child to be born.
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He thanked a group of journalists for visiting the hospital saying the communities there are anxiously waiting for the fruits of their visit and if nothing happen, they will meet the Health Minister Madalitso Baloyi and President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika in the interest of transparency and accountability.
” We are mobilizing resources to travel to Lilongwe to meet the Health Minister or President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika, the money for the completion of this hospital is taxpayers, we want transparency and accountability of these funds,” said Senior Group village headman Chimanda.
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Giving his reaction, Dowa District Council’s Public Relations Officer Sylvester Kumwenda, said the delay in operationalizing the health facility is mainly due to the absence of a functional running water supply system arguing that a maternity wing cannot safely operate without reliable water which is essential for deliveries, hygiene and sanitation, infection prevention, control, and proper waste management.
Kumwenda said implementation of Madzo Maternity Wing was taken in phases from 2021- 2022 financial year using Governance to Enable Service Delivery ( Gesd) when construction had reached window level with MK26 7 million to bring the structure to roof level.
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He said in 2022- 2023 financial year, K45.8 million was spent towards construction of a staff house, fitting of windows and plastering works but later, the contractor was terminated of his job and this resulted to some delays.
The Publicist said in 2023-2024 financial year, K216.4 million was spent on a second staff house, waste management infrastructure and completion of external works for the maternity wing.
He said in 2025, an additional K13 million under Constituency Development Fund (CDF) was used to install a solar power system as electricity works stalled after the contractor demoralized over issues related to the second payment certificate.
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Kumwenda has assured the communities surrounding Madzo Maternity Wing that the Council is expediting all processes necessary to ensure the smooth, safe , and timely opening of the health facility.
” Some health personnel for the facility have already been identified, while certain medical equipment and supplies have already been delivered, it is our expectation that the facility should be operational by May, 2026,” he said.
But, visiting inside the maternity wing and two staff houses, the journalists saw for themselves cracks from poor cemented floor – (there is more sand than cement itself) in some rooms, there is a rotten ceiling due to leakages during the rainy season, one borehole and a construction of a water tank without the tank itself.
The media tour was supported by the Malawi Human Rights Resource Center (MHRRC) under its project ” Enhanced Citizen Participation in Local Governance and Development Processes with funds from NCA DCA Joint Country Programme – Malawi.
