Author: BCC

Construction of slip lanes at a junction where Kapeni Road joins Mahatma Gandhi Road is expected to be completed in two months.

A slip lane is a road at a junction that allows motorists and other road users to change roads without entering an intersection. Blantyre City Council is upgrading several roads to decongest and ease the traffic flow on the busy roads of the City.

Construction site at Kapeni-Mahatma Gandhi junction

Some of the bypass roads under construction are Chilobwe-Stella Maris, North Road-Market Street in Limbe, Kapeni-Mahatma Gandhi. Several junctions will have slip lanes such as Mahatma Gandhi and Kapeni Road, Kamba and Kenyatta Drive and South End Schools.

The Council has also advertised tenders for the construction of the following roads in the City: Namiwawa-Sunnyside (Bank Road and Smythe Road), Lali Lubani Road across Masauko Chipembere Highway via Malawi Polytechnic Village-Kenyatta Drive, Ndirande-Nkolokoti Road (Makhetha), Chipatala Avenue-Kamba, Michiru Road- Likhubula, Newlands-Manje via Chiwembe Road and Old Zomba Road-Mapanga.

The projects are expected to cost the Council over K12 billion.

• Dr Queen Dube, Chief of Health Services in the Ministry of Health;
• Members of the Patel family;
• Members of staff at Atlas Medical Centre;
• Invited guests;
• Members of the media;
• Ladies and Gentlemen

Today, we witness another milestone in our beautiful city. Today, we rewrite the history of medical service delivery in Blantyre City.

I am glad to be part of this auspicious occasion. Thank you for inviting me to this grand opening of Atlas Medical Centre.

Why am I excited about the opening of this medical facility?

I am delighted and confident that this hospital will radically improve the quality of service and infrastructure for patients.

Makwinja delivering his speech

Atlas Medical Centre will be of great benefit to the local community both in terms of the medical services that will be provided here and of course the employment opportunities that it will offer.

I am reliably told that although it has started with day time opening, very soon, it will offer 24 hours services.

Ladies and Gentlemen, to set up a medical facility of this kind is no mean achievement.

We are today witnessing the effort and achievement of the Patel family but which will touch many lives in our city and beyond.

I am told that the centre will provide among other services general practitioner clinic, a specialist clinic in hypertension, diabetes, kidneys, infectious diseases, pediatrics and general surgery.

Another exciting news is that it will provide diagnostic laboratory such as an electrocardiogram (ECG), cardiac tests among other specialized tests.

The centre has physiotherapy and a pharmacy that will store various types of drugs.

Ladies and Gentlemen, some of these services are the ones only a few privileged Malawians were accessing outside the country. Now, these services will be locally available. We are very grateful for that.

Let me appeal to the owners of the hospital to maintain the standards they have set out.

We have seen others raising high expectations at the beginning but few years down the line, they become just like any other health facility.

You have told us that your vision is to provide quality health care services for all members of society, use advanced and innovative health care technology and also provide affordable and equitable health care services.

Your acknowledgement that Malawi health care service has been faced with numerous obstacles over the years gives us hope and it is our prayer that you stick to this promise.

Mwakwinja together with Dr Queen Dube on his right and Dr Parth Patel on his left

Finally, I would like to pay tribute and congratulate the directors of Atlas Medical Centre for investing in serving and saving the lives of Malawians.

We look forward to reaping the fruits in terms of efficiency, client satisfaction and better patient relations.

We are optimistic that Atlas Medical Centre will lead to better health, better care and better lives for the people of Blantyre City.

I would like to conclude by thanking Dr Parth Patel for extending an invitation so that I can be here and speak as we celebrate the opening of this hospital.

I believe this new hospital will a great credit to Malawi’s health services and many thanks should go to everyone who has helped to make it possible.

To the management and staff, I wish you all the best as you embark on a life-saving mission.

With these few remarks, it is now my singular honour and privilege to declare Atlas Medical Centre officially opened.

I thank you all for your kind attention and may God bless you.

The Deputy Mayor Councillor Joseph Makwinja says Blantyre City Council plans to plant at least 15,000 indigenous tree seedlings this year to dress Mudi River, Nasolo River, Naperi River, Limbe River, Nyambadwe Hill and Mthawira Hill.

Makwinja on Tuesday, March 2, 2021 commended Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (Escom) for partnering the Council in tree planting exercise. Escom plans to support the Council plant 5,000 seedlings.

“It is our wish as the Council to dress our rivers, hills and all marginal land within the City with indigenous trees,” Makwinja says.

This year’s tree planting is being done under the theme “Trees and forests for improved health and well-being because trees and forests provide adorable landscape within the City.

“As responsible citizens and residents let us join hands in the management and maintenance of trees in all our surroundings. Remember, it is not about the number of trees planted, but how many have been nurtured, well managed, survived and matured,” he says.

Together, we can make Blantyre City clean and green again and transform the landscape and livelihood.

On Friday, February 12, 2021, Honourable Halima Daud, MP, Deputy Minister of Local Government launched K2 billion roads construction projects in Blantyre City.

Under the Roads Fund Administration financed projects, the Council will construct Chilobwe-Stella Maris Road, North Road-Market Street in Limbe, Kapeni Road-Mahatma Gandhi at Mount Pleasant Street and Slip Lanes at Kamba, Kapeni, Keza and South End School junctions.

Daud said it was the wish of the Government that local contractors avoid doing shoddy works and also respect the contract period.

His Worship Wild Ndipo, Mayor of Blantyre City, thank the Government for providing financial resources for the projects.

The construction of the roads is expected to complete in eight months while the Slip Lanes are expected to be ready in two months.