Dmara donates K 10 million medical equipment to Jalawe Health Centre

By Taonga Nyirenda – Mana.

Development for Action for Marginalized Rural Areas (Damra) organization with assistance from International Project Aid (IPA), Friday donated assorted medical equipment worth K 10 million to Jalawe Health Centre to enhance quality health service delivery at the facility. 

The donation included washing machine, oxygen concentrator, wheel chairs, and delivery beds, mattresses and sterilizer among others.

Damra Board Chairperson Duncan Mkandawire said his organization acknowledges the challenges that the health sector faces, hence the donation. 

He said the health do not have adequate equipment for quality service delivery. 

“Most of the people die of diseases that can be cured because our health facilities do not have the capacity to handle such cases due to unavailability of medical equipment and other related resources. 

We believe that the materials donated today will help to save more lives that we could have been lost in the absence of the relevant equipment,” the Chairperson said.

Mkandawire advised health workers at the facility to take care of the equipment to serve the community longer.

Rumphi District Nursing Officer (DNO), Boniface Ndovie said government on its own cannot address all the challenges in the health sector, hence the need for the assistance from non-state organizations. 

“We appreciate that government alone cannot manage to address the challenges that the health sector is facing ranging from inadequate working materials, human resource, staff accommodation among others,” he said.

Ndovie hailed the organization for the donation which he described as unprecedented saying some of the equipment provided are not even available at Rumphi District Hospital which is the referral hospital for all health centres in the district.

“I am very delighted to receive this donation as the equipment will help us to effectively discharge our duties and provide quality health care to patients.

Some of the materials such as the washing machine donated today is not available even at our referral hospital. This means that we have received quality materials and we don’t take this gesture for granted,” he added.

Rumphi District Council Director of Planning and Development (DPD), Frank Mkandawire urged workers at the facility against personalizing the equipment but rather use them for the intended purpose. 

“It was the responsibility of health workers and health advisory committee to take care of these, do not use these materials at home since you have access to them, make sure the materials are used for the benefit of the community,” he pointed out.

Besides the donation, Damra installed solar powered electricity as a backup in case of black- out. 

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