Laying a foundation stone on the site where Phalombe District hospital will be built, Professor Mutharika said his government has plans of rehabilitating dozens of hospitals and at the same time build cancer centres and an International Referral Hospital.

“Very soon, this country will have cancer treatment centre for the first time, and an international referral hospital. Not long ago, we opened Nkhata Bay District Hospital. We will soon be building Blantyre District Hospital. And we will be rehabilitating a dozen other hospitals and clinics this year. For the people of Phalombe, access to secondary health care has been a challenge and these people have been waiting for a long time and this is your time.

“We need a healthy Malawi for this nation to prosper and that is why my government is investing in building new hospitals in the country. This is an indication that we want every citizen to have access to health facilities,” said Mutharika.

In his speech, Minister of Health Dr Peter Kumpalume said he expected the hospital up and running in 18 months.

“I do not take delays kindly and in your contract, we agreed that the hospital will be operational by end of 18 months. I expect you to deliver and keep your word because the people of Phalombe have been waiting for such a facility for a long time. I will once in every 3 months come to inspect progress at this site,” said Kumpalume.

According to the District Health Officer for Phalombe Ketwin Kondowe, the hospital will ease congestion that Phalombe Health Centre faces on a daily basis and it will also save money that government pays to Holy Family Clinic where referral cases are sent.

“Government spends about 15 Million Kwacha for direct payment to Holy Family Hospital when we send people there for further medical help. Once this facility is finished, we will be able to provide all the services that they get from the referral hospital and thereby saving us a lot of money which will be channelled to other medical related services,” said Kondowe.

The hospital will be located in Traditional Authority Kaduya and is expected to have not less that 50 medical personnel and serve a current population of 393,000 people.