The construction of US$ 22m Phalombe district hospital has just started in Malawi after President Peter Mutharika laying a foundation stone commissioning construction works.
Minister of Health, Dr. Peter Kumpalume, confirmed the reports and commended the president for honouring his manifesto and taking the necessary steps in ensuring that the Phalombe District Hospital dream is realised.
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Kumpalume said according to the current agreement between the government and the Kuwait building contractor, Phalombe district hospital is expected to be completed by the end of 18 months from the day construction works begins.
Phalombe District Hospital project has been a thorny issue for a long time with people asking government to clarify on allocations in the national budget since 2005 towards the project.
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The president pointed out that his government has plans of rehabilitating dozens of hospitals and at the same time build cancer centres and an International Referral Hospital.
According to the District Health Officer for Phalombe, Ketwin Kondowe, the hospital will ease congestion that is experienced in the health centre on a daily basis and it will also save money that government pays to Holy Family Clinic where referral cases are sent.
The hospital will be located in Traditional Authority Kaduya and is expected to have not less than 50 medical personnel and serve a current population of 393,000 people.
