Dzindevu clinic is a small healthcare facility in Malawi’s Dedza district. On a typical day, 150 people from the surrounding villages come through its doors. From pre-natal care and women in labour to treatment for minor injuries, the health needs of the local community are many and varied.
The spread of COVID-19 has placed a huge burden on busy clinics in Malawi like Dzindevu. Many clinics lack facilities like reliable electricity and access to running water. Basic items such as face masks, basins, soap and bins are in short supply.
This puts medical staff and patients at a greater risk of contracting and spreading the virus. “In all honesty, we were scared for our own lives since we did not have resources to help us take the necessary and critical preventative measures,” says Hope Magaleta, who runs the Dzindevu clinic.
Working with Dedza District Health Office, United Purpose has provided Dzindevu clinic with vital sanitation supplies. These include buckets, bins, face masks, chlorine drums and soap – all distributed with the help of Dr John Phalula, Senior Medical Officer for Dedza’s district health office.
“We can now serve the patients with courage and confidence” Hope Magaleta says.
While the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Malawi is relatively low, the testing capacity is also limited. As confirmed by Malawi Liverpool Trust Laboratories, Malawi is also dealing with the South African Variant (501Y.V2). The COVID-19 vaccination process has not started yet in the country.
Project background - This programme ‘Support to at risk districts and communities in Malawi to prevent, rapidly detect and effectively respond to COVID-19’ is funded by the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid running from August 2020 to October 2021. The principal objective is to support the national government, local government authorities and communities in Malawi to prevent, rapidly detect and effectively respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, thereby reducing morbidity and mortality.