Embassy of Japan in Malawi
在マラウイ日本国大使館

Grant Assistance for Grass-roots Human Security Projects

Grant Contract Signing Ceremony
The Project for the Procurement of Recycled Ambulances
for St. Anne’s Hospital in Nkhotakota  District

  August 31, 2015

On Monday, 31st August 2015, His Excellency Shuichiro Nishioka, the Ambassador of Japan to Malawi, and Rev Canon Lt. Col. Meke Banda (Rtd), Diocesan Secretary/Administrator, Diocese of Lake Malawi signed a contract for the Project for the Procurement of Recycled Ambulances for St Anne’s Hospital in Nkhotakota District under the Grant Assistance for Grass-roots Human Security Projects. The ceremony was held at the Embassy of Japan and was graced by Hon Dr Peter Kumpalume M.P., Minister of Health.

Universal access to health care services is one of the most essential aspects in improving the quality of life for all people. More than half of Malawi’s population live in the rural areas where health facilities often face inadequate medical equipment, a lack of medical supplies or understaffed health facilities, which prevents those in the rural areas from receiving quality health care services. Thus, improving the health transport system and delivery of community health care services is a key to promoting and expanding access to health care services. However, there is a dire shortage of ambulances in Malawi and sadly some patients even lose their lives whilst waiting for an ambulance to take them to a district or a mission hospital.

Diocese of Lake Malawi St. Anne’s Hospital is one of the two hospitals in Nkhotakota District providing secondary medical care and treatment serving patients from all over the district. However, owing to the lack of ambulance with medical equipment, the hospital can hardly offer proper health transport services. In order to address this challenge and enable people in the area to receive appropriate medical service, the Government of Japan approved a grant amounting to US$26,385 to St. Anne’s Hospital. This grant will facilitate the maintenance of two recycled ambulances donated by two cities in Japan and the cost of shipping the ambulances from Japan to Malawi.

Speaking during the ceremony, Ambassador Nishioka stated that he believed, the ambulances will assist St Anne’s Hospital to transport referral cases from its surrounding health facilities to the hospital or to Nkhotakota District Hospital. He also mentioned that the hospital will be able to provide medical care to places far away from the hospital and save many lives.