Mzimba District Hospital has availed medical equipment worth over K52 million, courtesy of the Ministry of Health.

The donation comes after receiving reports of lack of such equipment at Mzimba District Hospital among others in the Northern Region of the country. Handing over the equipment to the hospital,  the ministry’s health technical support services officer Clifford Dedza said the equipment will improve services at the hospital’s reproductive department. “We believe the equipment will reduce maternal and neonatal deaths.” said Dedza.

 Mzimba District Hospital nursing and midwifery officer Atisiya Mwase bemoaned 21 maternal deaths attributed to the lack of the needed equipment in the last 6 months. A BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth report in 2017 showed that 62.2% (94/151) of maternal deaths occurred in a healthcare facility and a further 21.2% (32/151) of mothers died at home after they had accessed care at a healthcare facility. More than half of all women who died at a healthcare facility (52.1%) had experienced more than one type of delay.