Located about 3Km from the centre of Blantyre, Chilomoni Health Centre was constructed in 1972 and serves a local population of around 63,000. The catchment community members are very poor, with high levels of unemployment. In common with many health facilities, the buildings have received little or no maintenance over the years.
As with many of the original buildings at Chilomoni Health Centre, the current Maternity Department, constructed in 1972, needs updating and renovation. Serving a population of around 64,000 people, an average of 92.7 babies are delivered every month, making this facility extremely busy. Antenatal mothers share an overcrowded ward with postnatal mothers and often use a mattress on the floor or have to share a bed. The solar panels are in good condition but the inverter and batteries need replacing.
AMECA plans to undertake a total renovation of the maternity unit, constructing separate wards for antenatal and post natal patients. The Delivery Suite will be re-designed to provide individual bays for mothers in labour, as currently, the thin and rather old curtains provide is little privacy. We will also include a new sluice and office facilities. AMECA also plans to implement mentorship uplift training for midwifery staff and is currently liaising with the District Nursing Officer.
A new inverter and new lithium batteries will be purchased in order to provide backup solar power for essential equipment such as suctions machines and oxygen concentrators.
Located in an inaccessible portacabin at the far end of Chilomoni Health Centre, disabled patients currently struggle to reach this facility. The unit is staffed by Physiotherapist Charity and Rehab Assistant Madalitzo, who explained the current challenges in delivering effective patient services due to lack of equipment, the distance of the facility from the main entrance to the health centre and the uneven terrain to be negotiated.
Having failed a to find a suitable space for an alternative physio clinic, AMECA approached the John Hopkins Project, which has a lovely building on site at Chilomoni. We are so very grateful to John Hopkins staff, who have so kindly lent out a spare room in their building for use for physiotherapy. Sited very near the health centre entrance, this perfect space is ideal for disabled members of the community to access the facility.
With the help of a local artist and the input of carpenter Gibson, we look forward to showing you the new physiotherapy facility later this year and to bringing you news of the input being given to the disabled in our local communities.
AMECA was alerted to a rather nice donated dental chair, housed in a very dilapidated room, which lacked the required connections, resulting in very limited dental service provision at Chilomoni Health Centre. The dental technician, Wisdom, asked if AMECA could somehow assist. We contacted Emeritus Professor Jeremy Bagg, (Former Head of The University of Glasgow Dental School and Lead for the Scottish funded Maldent Project), whose great blogs I had been reading in the Scotland Malawi Partnership newsletter.
Please do read Jeremy’s fantastic account of what happened next at this link.……. he says it all far better than anyone could and it is a great read.
In January 2024, we met up with Jeremy, Peter Chimimba, Malawi Lead for the MalDent Project, and Dr Kawalazira, (Blantyre DHO), to discuss ideas for developing an exemplar dental clinic at Chilomoni Health Centre. This initiative could provide a model for dental facilities in health centres and address dental provision at local facilities by the dental students graduating next year.