Government to construct new modern hospital in Dowa

The government has announced plans to construct a modern hospital in Dowa District in response to growing concerns from the community over the inadequate size and condition of the current facility, which many believe falls short of district hospital standards.

Speaking during a political rally held at Dowa Community Ground on Sunday, Minister of Local Government and Malawi Congress Party (MCP) Secretary General Richard Chimwendo Banda assured residents that preparations for the new hospital are already underway.

“Very soon, the Chakwera administration will begin construction of a new Dowa Hospital. While we are in the process of securing funding, we have already started renovating the existing structure to ease the challenges people are currently facing,” Banda said.

He went on to express gratitude to President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera for implementing various development projects in the district during his first term, which he said have significantly transformed the area. These include the Dzaleka–Ntchisi Road, a mega tap-water project, Mponela Rural Hospital, and the Lumbadzi–Mponela–Madisi M1 Road, among others.

Banda expressed confidence that, owing to these achievements, President Chakwera would receive overwhelming support in Dowa during the upcoming general elections, predicting a 99.9% vote share.

He also urged residents to rally behind MCP candidates who emerged victorious in the party’s primary elections, cautioning against supporting independent candidates, which he said would divide the vote and weaken party unity.

“You must support only those who won the MCP primaries to ensure our votes are not split,” he appealed.

Also speaking at the event was economist and former Minister of Trade Sosten Gwengwe, who emphasized President Chakwera’s broader vision of resetting the national economy toward self-reliance.

“It is time for Malawi to move away from dependency on donor aid. This reliance has weakened our economy for far too long,” Gwengwe said.