Kaseye Community Hospital

Background

Kaseye Rural Community Hospital is situated at the foot of Misuku hills 10 km off Chitipa Road at Lufita under Traditional Authority Mwaulambia. The facility has a catchment area Population of 12123 and surrounded by 28 villages. It was opened in 1943 under the Medical Missionaries of Mary (MMM Sisters) until it was handed over to the Diocese of Mzuzu. The Sisters of Holy Rosary congregation took over and are currently running the institution.

Chisansu and Ifumbo Health Centres are the nearest health facilities situated 10km and 15 km away from Kaseye Hospital respectively. The referral facility, which is 17 km away from Kaseye, is Chitipa District Hospital.

Services provided by the facility include maternal and new born (MNC: prenatal, natal, post natal and new born, under five, nutrition, HIV/AIDs clinic, Laboratory services, Radiography, out-patient department and MNH outreach services.

People in the catchment area commonly grow and eat maize, beans, millet, Irish and sweet potatoes as well cassava.

Common condition treated at health facility Malaria, Pneumonia, Asthma, and Hypertension

Current project: The facility is constructing a Theatre supported by Interplast Team and others from Germany through Change and be Changed organisation from USA.

Positives
The facility has a better number of technical staff compared to other facilities of same the nature. This includes Enrolled Nurses, Lab Technician, Pharmacy Technician and Clinicians (Medical Assistants and Clinical Officers).

In order to achieve universal access to health the Government is subsidizing patient cost of services through Service Level Agreement (SLA) signed through CHAM. Currently Maternal and new born, under Five and nutrition service is under SLA agreement.

Challenges
The facility has a number of challenges to be addressed:

• Poor road network: The road off main road to the facility which runs 10 km is not tarred. The worst time is during rainy season when streams crossing the road are flooded and become impassable. Vehicles have to wait for hours before crossing or risk being washed away. Very few transport means to the facility means patients and communities surrounding the facility having difficulties in movement.
• Inadequate staff houses: The facility has a good number of trained staff in spite of being situated in remote area. However, Shortage of staff houses limit staff to be housed at the health facility at the same time communities surrounding the facility do not have better houses to be rented by staff working at the facility.
• No reliable Ambulance: So far the ambulance that was relied upon is broken and instead a small half ton pick-up truck is used as an Ambulance. This is only reliable during dry season and difficult to use during rainy season.
• In availability of safe water: Kaseye Community Hospital does not have a safe water supply hence rely on natural fountain of water from Misuku hills channeled through a locally constructed water system of pipes that collect untreated water to the facility and a nearby Kaseye Girls Secondary and Kaseye Primary School. The water is not safe enough to drink but at least the only reliable source.