After months of careful planning, we are thrilled that work on the new Maternity and Infant Health unit at Chisamba Rural Health Centre starts next month.
The health centre plays a key role in providing essential healthcare services to a rapidly growing community of over 33,000 people in the Chisamba District, Central Province, Zambia.
It currently receives around 720 pregnant women annually. Lack of adequate space, together with concerns around safety and privacy forces some women to delay seeking care, which can result in perilous and sometimes fatal complications.
Expectant mums waiting to be seen Chisamba Rural Health Centre
Current delivery room at the centre
The new facility will be a game-changer for mums and babies
Your generous support means we can start building this vital new facility.
The bespoke 460sqm design includes:
- Two consultation rooms
- Three-bed antenatal ward
- Three-bed post-natal ward
- Delivery room with two beds
- Reception and office
In addition there will be a nurse station, sluice room, toilets, showers, waiting areas, storeroom, laundry room, drying yard and waste collection area.
Our Project Manager, Civil Engineer Prisca Fumpa is leading the construction work:
I’m excited to see the project in the initiation stages, and looking forward to the start of construction. Working in collaboration with patients, clinic staff and the local Ministry of Health has led to a design that fits the needs of this rural community.
The commitment and enthusiasm from community members is clear, and they have already started contributing materials and support.
Together we’re building a brighter future for mothers and children, fostering a healthier community for generations to come!
The expansion will increase the clinic’s capacity to handle up to 80 deliveries per month. This will significantly reducing the risks to mother and baby associated with delayed or home births. The improved facilities will also accommodate under-fives clinics for follow-up care and vital vaccinations.
We are currently recruiting 15 young people from the local community to support this project through our Training into Work programme. They will gain practical new skills in construction, as well as gaining valuable work experience on the build.
For more information on how you can support the work at Chisamba Rural Health Centre, please contact Lisa Carson, Head of Communications and Fundraising at [email protected]