‘The new facility will improve maternal health’
As one way of complimenting government’s efforts on safe motherhood, Comfort Community Hospital has constructed a new delivery room with neonatal care unit with support from Zeropiu Association and Orizzonte Malawi Onlus.
Speaking Friday, October 14 during the official opening of the new maternity wing, Andrew Nkhoma, senior maternity officer at Balaka District Hospital said Comfort Community Hospital hailed the initiative to build the wing saying it would bail out the government facility where need for services is always in high demand.
“We have eleven facilities in Balaka but only Balaka main hospital and Comfort have the best comprehensive maternity services rendered to over 500,000 people living in the district and surrounding areas,” Nkhoma said.
Nkhoma said the new maternity wing will improve the health services in the district and he thanked Andiamo Trust for improving health services and providing free services to under-five children.
“The new facility is well equipped with all the necessary materials which will help pregnant women not to deliver on the floor as is the case in other hospitals,” said Nkhoma.
Comfort Community Hospital, maternal in charge, Modesta Goodwill said the new facility will double the capacity for delivery in the maternity ward and raise total admission capacity to 30 mothers and is equipped with the needed structures for the management of low birth weight and complicated deliveries.
“We are happy with this donation from Zeropiu Association and Orizzonte Malawi Onlus and for their support to this facility. We also ask government to consider helping us with other resources because the hospital is under Christian Health Association of Malawi (CHAM). But we also need government to bail us from other things which we can not rely on donors always,” said Goodwill.
President of Zeropiu, Dr Guido Calciolari said improving of the destiny of the low weight neonates is one of the Ministry of Health and World Health Organization goals. Hence their association in co-operation with Andiamo Trust is committed for ten years in improving the health sector.
“We are here to compliment government efforts of improving the health sector in line with Agenda 2063 and Sustainable Development Goal number three of good health and well-being of the people,” said Dr Guido.
He said the new extended maternity ward is well equipped with good modern materials for both mother and new born babies.
In 2022 data, up to 30 September shows that the maternity ward at the facility registered 2,402 antenatal visits out of which 872 were first visit, 1,627 new born babies, 155 caesarean deliveries and 12 percent were low weight birth cases.
Andiamo wishes to continue to work in co-operation with local health care facilities and to strengthen the fundamental relation among clinical personnel, families and community leaders and is therefore thankful to the Segal Family Foundation, CHAM, government for their untiring support of health care projects in favour of over 75,000 patients in Balaka and beyond. Over K20 million has been spent on construction of the new maternity wing. new extended maternity wing cost K20 million.
Rose Chipumphula CHALIRA
