Mutharika developing northern Malawi

By Emmanuel Sobilika

Malawi President Dr Bingu wa Mutharika has started constructing a medical hospital in the northern region district of Nkhatabay, Malawi Digest understands.

The hospital is expected to help the people of Nkhatabay, who up until now had been suffering after the 10 year UDF administration of former president Bakili Muluzi decided to ignore them completely.

For a decade under the trial and error rule under Bakili Muluzi, the people of Nkhatabay were using an old, dilapidated and small district hospital and Dr Bingu wa Mutharika’s administration has come in to change that situation completely.

Speaking in an interview with Malawi Digest, Malawi Health Minister Khumbo Kachali said that preparatory works for the construction of the new Nkhatabay District Hospital are already at an advanced stage.

“As I speak, the contractor is on the site clearing the area before the real construction of this magnificent hospital starts,” he said.

The minister said that he is very impressed with progress that he has seen on the hospital construction after visiting the site recently.

“There is an aura of excitement in the whole of northern region because for the first time, people from the north of Malawi feel that there is a leadership that is caring for them,” he said.

Kachali, who is also the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) attributed this exciting news for the people of Nkhatabay and the northern region as a whole on the wise leadership of President Dr Bingu wa Mutharika.

“We’ve had administrations before but nothing was done until just over 5 years ago when Dr Mutharika came onto power when we have seen significant developments taking place in north of Malawi,” he said.

Minister Kachali said that apart from valuing the people of Nkhatabay as part of the Malawi society, it was important to have a hospital facility built in the district because historically the area is equally important after some people died during the 1959 State of Emergency.

“The people of Nkhatabay suffered a lot during the 1959 emergency and it’s only proper that they are better rewarded through good projects like this new district hospital,” he said.

According to Principal Secretary in Malawi’s Ministry of Health Chris Kang’ombe, the new Nkhatabay District Hospital is being constructed at Nkondezi in the district.

“Government acquired 50 hectares of land for this hospital project and the contractor is currently concentrating on 15 hectares piece of land because that’s where the hospital is going to be constructed,” said Kan’gombe.

He said apart from the main hospital building, the project also includes 65 houses for medical staff.

According to information gathered by Malawi Digest from the Ministry of Health, the new Nkhatabay District Hospital has received a US $15 million funding from Opec and at this stage, the Malawi government has pumped in MK23 million.

Meanwhile, President Bingu wa Mutharika has finished constructing the Administrator’s office situated in Mzuzu City.

The office, expected to open next month will help the people from northern Malawi to avoid the hustle of travelling all the way to Blantyre to have their money processed if they lose their beloved one.

Previously, Malawi had one Administrator’s office in Blantyre but the wise leadership of Dr Bingu wa Mutharika is trying to decentralise the exercise in order to reduce the pain and trouble people were going through to claim deceased estates.

Apart from these developments in northern Malawi, Dr Bingu wa Mutharika is also constructing a Reserve Bank in Mzuzu and the long touted Karonga-Chitipa road construction is underway.

Following the good economic policies under Dr Bingu wa Mutharika, private entities are also making their own efforts to develop the north.

There is a booming uranium mining project as Kayelekera in Karonga and one of Malawi’s leading commercial bank, National Bank is constructing a magnificent bank building in Mzuzu City – Malawi Digest.