For some time, the District Health Officer for Nkhata Bay District has been asking if RIPPLE Africa could assist by providing a Community Dispensary at Mwaya. There is a burgeoning population and, until recently, people have had to walk to Kachere or Kande Health Centres which are both about 7km or more away and are both over-subscribed. Money was donated by a Swiss organisation, Fondation Eagle, and work finally started in July 2009. This coincided with a visit by Aldenham School from England, and the students started to dig the foundations. RIPPLE Africa building staff continued with construction of the building, and it was completed in 2010. The dispensary was finally opened on 22 June 2011 in a formal opening ceremony attended by District dignitaries (District Commissioner, District Health Officer, District Nursing Officer, etc.) and between 500 and 1,000 local people. The staff and the medicines are being provided by the Malawian government. RIPPLE Africa will maintain a close connection with the dispensary and currently employ two members of staff: someone to dispense the medicines and a gardener.
Facilities at the Dispensary comprise a general out-patients clinic, a clinic for children under five years old, and a dispensary for commonly prescribed medicines. Ante- and post-natal care, together with deliveries, are still being provided at Kachere Health Centre. The most common illnesses seen at the Dispensary are malaria and HIV/AIDS related, together with problems associated with malnutrition. Although a microscope has been donated to RIPPLE Africa for use at the Dispensary, it cannot be used at the moment as there is no electricity.
Basic healthcare provision is something which is universally essential to human beings around the world but, sadly, in Malawi, the reality is that healthcare provision is less than adequate. In the Nkhata Bay District where RIPPLE Africa is based, there is just one nurse for every 18,000 people, and just one doctor for over 200,000! A lack of access to basic facilities, and a severe shortage of trained medical professionals and basic medications, mean that many people struggle to get the vital access to medical treatment they need. The new Mwaya Community Dispensary is established in the very heart of the Mwaya community, so people no longer have to travel up to 7km to neighbouring villages to receive treatment when they’re sick. RIPPLE Africa’s support of the clinic makes up part of our core provision of community support in Mwaya village, and RIPPLE Africa’s volunteer healthcare assistants drastically reduce the ratio of patients to medical professionals in the area.
Much of RIPPLE Africa’s support of Mwaya Community Dispensary is delivered through the help of overseas volunteer doctors and nurses. However, RIPPLE Africa does pay for some supplies, salaries, and miscellaneous costs to supplement the government provision:
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