Elita Safarini Issa, 38, does not remember ever giving up on something.
“That is why, for example, I went back to school twice after falling pregnant while in form 2,” she said.
However, despite being a holder of a Malawi School Certificate of Education, she has been weighing the options of giving up on something.
“I am beginning to give in to thoughts that we, Domasi people, should stop banking on the government on the issue of Domasi Mission Hospital. Close to 10 years ago, we were told that we would have Domasi Community Hospital but nothing has materialised.
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“This is despite that, during campaign period— that is, in the run-up to the 2014 Local Government, Parliamentary and Presidential Elections as well as in the run-up to the 2019 general elections— politicians promised to do something about the problem. It is only in the run-up to the June 23 2020 court-ordered presidential election that I did not hear any politician saying something about the community hospital,” Issa, a mother of three boys and one girl, lamented.
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Andrew Tchale, another resident of Domasi, concurred with her.
“Politicians have, countless times, talked about plans to construct Domasi Community Hospital but that does not happen. They take advantage of our desperation for healthcare services to promise us something they cannot deliver on. I am tired of empty promises.
“In fact, I am not surprised that some people have started giving up on prospects that what politicians and policymakers say about Domasi Community Hospital is true,” Tchale said.
The community members’ sense of trepidation is understandable.
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Domasi Community Hospital was supposed to be operational by now because the project was expected to be completed within one-and-a-half years from November 2013.
That means, by May 2015, the project was supposed to be completed.
The truth on the ground is that there is a long way to go.
Not surprisingly, the Presidential Delivery Unity (PDU) has said it is equally worried that Domasi Community Hospital has not been completed, 10 years down the line.
PDU head Janet Banda described the situation as “disappointing”.
Speaking on Friday, when she toured the project site in Zomba Malosa Constituency, Banda pointed out that having the medical facility operational would ease access to healthcare services in Zomba
“Delays to complete the project have led to congestion at Zomba Central Hospital, which is just a referral facility. We are going to make sure that the contractor gets his dues so that we may see progress,” she explained.
Banda also said there is also a need to speed up the project so that the contractor can finish works by December this year.
“We need to work in phases so that we can ease the pressure Zomba Central Hospital is facing. So, we would like to have construction works completed by December and have the facility in operation by January 2024,” she indicated.
On his part, Principal Secretary for Health Samson Mndolo said the absence of a district hospital is affecting community members in rural areas.
“Zomba has no district hospital. This is why we have seen that Zomba Central Hospital is facing pressure because there are more people that require the hospital’s services. Some of these people cover long distances to get to Zomba Central Hospital and, yet, they were supposed to be reporting to Domasi hospital [which has not been completed],” Mndolo explains.
The principal secretary added that the ministry would make sure Domasi Community Hospital construction works are completed in time.
Initially, construction costs were pegged at K4.2 billion but, after the contract was reviewed, the cost has rocketed to K6.9 billion.
Its original contract period was up to 80 weeks from November 2013 but the duration was revised to 310 weeks.
But, then, even if 310 weeks were to be factored in from November 2023, the project would not ‘divorce’ itself from the word ‘delay’.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) indicates that Malawi’s health expenditure is at 7 percent.
WHO further indicates that, in terms of leading causes of death, diseases that claim the lives of males include HIV and Aids, neonatal conditions, road injury, lower respiratory infections, malaria, diarrhoeal diseases, stroke, ischaemic heart disease, cirrhosis of the liver and tuberculosis.
Among females, WHO indicates that diseases that claim many lives include HIV and Aids, neonatal conditions, lower respiratory infections, cervix uteri cancer, malaria, stroke, diarrhoeal diseases, ischaemic heart disease, maternal conditions and road injury.
Cases of these diseases also abound in Domasi and surrounding areas, where patients are still covering a long distance to get to Zomba Central Hospital.
“The truth is, we needed Domasi Community Hospital as soon as yesterday,” Issa emphasised.
She could be speaking for many whose hopes are being douses by construction work delays.
