Magwero Mothers get a Dedicated CDF-Funded Maternity Ward

A maternity annex has been commissioned at Magwero Rural Health Post in Chipata, ending a situation where expectant mothers were being delivered in a nurse's office.

The facility, constructed under the Constituency Development Fund at a cost of just over K1 million, was officially commissioned by Chipata City Council Town Clerk Jovax Ngoma on behalf of Eastern Province Permanent Secretary Paul Thole.

Mr Thole said the annex reflects government's commitment to ensuring development reaches every community through decentralisation and the CDF, and that improved maternity infrastructure is central to that agenda.

Community Chairperson Reverend Emmanuel Zulu said the facility will serve a population of approximately 6,000 people and will significantly reduce the transport costs that had previously made accessing care difficult for many mothers in the area. He thanked government for responding to a need the community had felt for years.

Eastern Province Health Director's representative Dr Bernard Chimungu welcomed the commissioning, saying the construction of maternity annexes across the country will help strengthen the wider healthcare system.