The facility serves more than half a million people from around the area, but was recently closed following the violence that occurred after the death of a cholera patient at the facility from Mgona Township.
The closure of the facility forced residents of Areas 25, 26 and Mgona (Area 28) to travel over 15 kilometres to access healthcare services at Area 18 Health Centre.
However, President Chakwera ordered the immediate reopening of the facility when he addressed health workers at the launch of the cholera campaign last Monday.
The Malawi leader emphasized the need for the residents to access healthcare services right from their vicinity.
“I stand for the people that is why I apologize for what happened to health workers and the health facility,” said the President.
As Chakwera was launching the campaign, residents in Kuliyani Village were burying a 60-year-old man who died of cholera.
In his eulogy at the funeral, Village Head Kuliyani attributed to the death to the long distance that his subjects were avoiding to travel to access services at Area 18 Health Centre.
He, therefore, commended the President for ordering the reopening of the facility.
“The reopening of the facility will save a lot of lives. We are grateful to President Chakwera for accepting the apologies of the people of Mgona,” said VH Kuliyani.
Malawi Health Equity Network (MEHN) Executive Director George Jobe, also commended Chakwera for the reopening of the clinic.
Jobe said the facility is so important because it serves people from as far as Lumbadzi.
