Malawi: Ntcheu District Hospital Turns Innovation Into Progress, Raises K57 Million to Improve Services

Ntcheu District Hospital has shown how innovation and smart management can boost healthcare, generating about K57 million through its optional paying services between the 2024 and 2025 financial year. The funds are already making a tangible difference in patient care and hospital operations.

Director of Health Services, Innocent Mhango, said the money has been used to renovate 50 percent of the Joyce Banda Foundation shelter, which provides accommodation for pregnant women with complications. The hospital also revived a backup power generator that had been out of service for two months, ensuring uninterrupted electricity for critical services.

The funds were further used to procure food supplies, support 100 percent referral services from local health centres to the district hospital, and facilitate referrals from Ntcheu District Hospital to Kamuzu Central Hospital, improving the patient care chain across the region.

Looking ahead, the hospital plans to expand services along the M1 road towards Tsangano to attract patients from across the border. This strategic move aims to generate additional revenue that will help tackle ongoing service delivery challenges and strengthen healthcare in the district.

Health rights activist Maziko Matemba applauded the initiative, calling it a step in the right direction. He emphasized, however, the importance of strong management and monitoring systems to ensure that the internally generated funds are properly managed and used as intended.

Optional paying services were first introduced by Ntcheu District Council between 2021 and 2022 as part of a government-approved health sector reform, designed to help hospitals mobilize local resources and improve service delivery.

Ntcheu District Hospital's experience is a clear example of how innovation, strategic planning, and good governance can turn internally generated revenue into real progress for healthcare, improving both infrastructure and services for the community.

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Read the original article on Nyasa Times.