MALAWI: Montfort Missionaries Bail Out Blantyre Archdiocese in Covid-19 Fight
Luke Chimwaza
The Montfort Missionaries have shot Blantyre Archdiocese of the Catholic Church in the arm with over Mk 36 Million towards Covid-19 fight in the health facilities.
The donation follows a request made by head of the Archdiocese, Archbishop Thomas Luke Msusa to Montfort Missionaries’ Dutch region and Friends of Chiromo who have made a collective monetary support amounting to approximately 40,000 euros.
Speaking when he briefed and handed over the money to Blantyre Archdiocese management team and the Covid-19 task force committee earlier last week, Archbishop Msusa who is also chairman for the Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM), while stressing to ensure every money is accounted for specifically for the lifesaving machines, said he outsourced the money to beef up equipment challenges at a hospital assigned to treat priests, nuns and laity in the Archdiocese.
He has directed that the money be used to purchase equipment for Nguludi Catholic Hospital in Chiradzulo and some be sent to Saint Montfort and Holy Trinity Hospitals in Chikwawa.
In his speech after delivering some of the equipment to Nguludi Mission hospital on Wednesday afternoon, Vicar General for Blantyre Archdiocese Monsignor Boniface Tamani said the Church was prompted with the suffering of the people by the Coronavirus.
“Basically, the suffering of people in the hospitals, homes and the congestion in government hospitals – as Church, we could not leave government alone but join hands to help especially those suffering from Covid-19. We may not have the resources but what is important is to do our best and also cry out to whoever has capacity to help us so that we can reach out to many others suffering silently in their homes, and sometimes some people are sent back home by staff in hospitals because they are overwhelmed by patients, that’s very unfortunate but i think it’s because we don’t have capacity. Government and private hospitals and everybody need to work together in the fight against this pandemic,” he said.
Appreciating the donation, chairman for the Council of governors of St Joseph Nguludi Mission hospital Mr. Fabiano Makolija said the donation is very timely.
“We need equipment to treat Covid-19 patients who need special care. So, we really need the equipment like we have received today to help us treat the patients. We have lost some people who suffered from Covid-19 for lack of appropriate equipment, so we believe this equipment will help to treat Covid-19 patients better and save lives,” he said.
Blantyre Archdiocese had also set aside Nguludi Mission Hospital to be a treatment centre for priests, nuns and the laity and currently has treated over four priests, five nuns and several people regardless of their religion.
Some of the equipment purchased includes oxygen concentrators, patient monitors, Oxygen flow meters, gluco-meters, nebulizers, ICU beds, oxygen concentrators, oxygen cylinders with gas, Coveralls, N95 masks, Adjustable beds among others worth Mk36,482,000.
