In April 2011 Ruarwe health centre re-opened its doors. Villagers previously faced walking exceptionally long distances to seek medical attention. After several years without access to local health services Phunzira is now helping to provide essential health care to patients free of charge.
Since Phunzira's arrival in Ruarwe in 2009, villagers have a expressed their great need for more accessible health care. In tune with Phunzira's aim for community-driven sustainable development we set to work on how to make this possible. As a government owned health centre, we entered into negotiations with the Nkhata Bay District Health Office who welcomed our assistance in the area.
The health centre is now open 5 days a week and also runs an emergency out of hours service. In addition to drop in general clinics there are also more specialised clinics, such as antenatal care, family planning and the under 5's clinic. There is also now a small treatment room for minor procedures and wound dressings, 2 beds for patients who need to stay overnight and a drug stores room stocked with basic medicines. During the first 3 months of opening its doors, over 800 patients were seen with a wide variety of medical problems, many of who would have suffered unnecessarily if these essential medical services had not been so accessible. The health centre is currently staffed by one qualified doctor from the UK, who is volunteering through Phunzira, and one Malawian medical assistant. |
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Phunzira will continue to support the health centre by providing volunteer doctors and nurses, raising funds for equipment, acquiring donated medical supplies and working as a health advocate for the community.
To read more about this project please look at our Health Initiatives page or click on the Projects link over on the left. |