Mothers and patients at Lundazi District Hospital in Eastern Province are defecating in the bush due to inadequate sanitation services and water at the highest health facility in the district.
A Diamond News check at the district hospital found women walking distances in search of water and others relieving themselves in the bush.
The mothers have told Diamond News that the facility’s waterborne toilets are not working due to lack of water.
According to Donalia Banda and Jennifer Chirwa, mothers are on a daily basis expected to search for water to be able to use the waterborne toilets, a situation they have described as unsustainable.
Information obtained by Diamond News suggests that the hospital stores water in drums in the theatre to conduct medical services.
Lundazi District Commissioner Marjory Banda has acknowledged the water and sanitation challenge at the health facility.
The District Commissioner says the challenge is because of unreliable power supply from Malawi making the water utility company fail to pump water to the facility.
She says immediate intervention of digging two pit latrines are underway.
By Samuel Khwawe