By Abdul Kalonga:
Expectant mothers and guardians at Ntchisi District Hospital (DHO) have raised concerns over delays in the rehabilitation of the facility’s maternity wing, saying the stalled project has forced women to endure overcrowded and undignified conditions.
The renovation project, which was slated for completion in December 2025, was intended to modernise the maternity wing and expand bed capacity.
However, it has reportedly come to a standstill, leaving dozens of women sharing limited space in a temporary holding area.
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In an interview, one of the mothers from Mthiramsembe Village, Traditional Authority Malenga, Merry Phiri (not her real name), said that with the main ward closed for renovations, pregnant women are now forced to sleep on thin mattresses on the floor, with two or three women sharing a single mattress while awaiting delivery.
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Phiri said the lack of partitioned spaces has compromised patients’ privacy during sensitive medical examinations and heightened fears of neonatal infections and poor sanitation due to severe congestion.
“The delivery room has only three beds. We’ve been on the floor for two days now. We expected a better environment for our babies but this has become a struggle to some of us, who travelled for more than 15 kilometres to access services here,” Phiri said.
She added that the situation inside the ward has become chaotic, with medical personnel struggling to manage the growing number of patients.
“It has become improvised. When doctors are attending to three patients, others are asked to wait or walk around. Some mothers end up giving birth outside the ward, which is very concerning and regrettable,” she said.
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The rehabilitation project, which began with optimism in August 2025, initially showed signs of progress before construction workers abandoned the site, leaving behind only the skeletal structure of the maternity wing.
Although the structure remains standing, it is still incomplete, with unpainted walls and exposed wiring visible throughout the site.
Ntchisi District Director of Health and Sanitation Services (DHSS), Dr Alexander Chijuwa, attributed the delays to shortages and the rising cost of construction materials experienced across the country in 2025.
“The scarcity of cement, fuel and other essential materials tied our hands. We are fully aware of the discomfort and the impact but our primary goal remains the safety of both the mother and child.
“We also had a problem matching funds with one of our donors. We were supposed to contribute half of the total project cost but we did not have the resources at the time. However, by June 30, 2026, the wing is expected to begin operations,” Chijuwa explained.
According to Chijuwa, once completed, the new maternity wing will include at least seven modernised delivery rooms, an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and operating theatres aimed at improving maternal healthcare services at the district hospital.
Meanwhile, health rights activist Maziko Matemba has called for urgent intervention, urging the authorities to fast-track the project and resolve outstanding issues before conditions worsen further.
“Pregnancy is not something women should suffer for. The authorities must treat this maternity ward project as an emergency to prevent more complications and unnecessary risks,” Matemba explained.
Ntchisi District Hospital records an average of 105 births every week, translating to more than 5,000 babies born annually in a facility currently struggling with overcrowding as it awaits completion of the project under the government’s Health Rehabilitation Fund.
