Illovo Sugar Malawi’s Nchalo Estate hands over mortuary it constructed for Chikwawa District Hospital

* A mortuary is an essential part of any hospital as it provides dignity and respect for the deceased and comfort for bereaved families

* This facility is a commitment from Nchalo Sugar Estate to ensure that during the difficult chapter, our departed loved ones can be kept with the dignity and the respect they deserve

* And that grieving families have the necessary support and infrastructure to carry out their final duties to the departed loved ones

By Duncan Mlanjira

Illovo Sugar Malawi’s Nchalo Estate has handed over a mortuary it constructed for Chikwawa District Hospital replacing an almost 95-year old facility that was built during the colonial era and stopped functioning for close to five years.

Constructed at a cost of K113.2 million, the mortuary’s cold room has been installed with two huge refrigerators of six compartments each that have sliding body stretchers and includes a corpse cleaning facility and a modern embalming table in a separate room.

The old morgue, built in the 1930s was completely dilapidated and was just used as a temporary dead body storage relief as bereaved family members hurried about in arranging for a quick funeral and burial — a huge burden that was economically stressful.

Thus Illovo’s investment to construct the mortuary — whose cold room refrigerators were provided by the Ministry of Health as its contribution — is a huge relief to the hospital staff, the Council and community members.

At the handover ceremony — presided over by Illovo Sugar Malawi Nchalo Estate General Manager, Ricky Pillay; Estate Support Manager, Dr. Mkumba; Chikwawa District Council chairperson, Alexander Watch, among others — Chikwawa District’s acting Director of Health Services, Hope Moyo said the facility is a huge relief for the hospital staff since the old facility presented them with many health risks.

“It was very sorrowful to witness the bereaved families struggling to raise finances to quickly bury their beloved ones since it is very hot here in Chikwawa,” he said.

“On behalf of the hospital management, allow me to extend our profound vote of thanks to Illovo for your quick response to the request that Chikwawa District Council present to our very loved corporate citizen.”

Councillor Watch also attested to that Illovo, through its Nchalo Estate, has demonstrated that they hold dear to their corporate social investment, saying Chikwawa District Hospital needed a new mortuary as of a decade ago.

“We made several appeals as a Council to corporate companies here in Chikwawa and beyond but Illovo responded by engaging with us and the hospital management last year to draw up what is needed to set up an elaborate mortuary that can stand the test of time.

“This is an excellent structure, the resources to build it were not plundered and we congratulate the contractor, Kassam Building Contractors for a job well done,” said Councillor Watch, who proceeded to ask the hospital management and members of the public to take extreme care of the facility going forward.

“This infrastructure belongs to all of us — let’s own it by taking care of it so that it serves many generations. Let me also implore on all of us as citizens of Chikwawa that Illovo is a true development partner and therefore, let’s report on the destructive people who steal the company’s equipment and sugarcanes.”

Illovo has constantly reported of massive vandalism and theft of its estate farming equipment and its sugarcane products and Watch impressed on the community members the importance of working together with Illovo to stop the vice.

“It’s the extra profit that Illovo makes from sugar sales that it is able to focus their attention towards assisting the wellbeing of its sorrounding neighbouring communities.

“Therefore, we need to be keen by reporting on the evil minds you will see plundering Illovo’s resources so that they keep giving us a hand since the challenges we face in Chikwawa are many,” Watch said.

He talked highly of General Manager, Pillay, saying his passion in overseeing the whole process throughout the Council meeting engagements, procurement and partnership with the government was very outstanding.

On his part, Pillay emphasised that “mortuary is an essential part of any hospital as it provides dignity and respect for the deceased and comfort for bereaved families”.

“Without proper facilities, families face unnecessary distress during an already difficult time,” he said. “This facility is a commitment from Nchalo Sugar Estate to ensure that during the difficult chapter, our departed loved ones can be kept with the dignity and the respect they deserve, and that grieving families have the necessary support and infrastructure to carry out their final duties to the departed loved ones.

“The facility honours the sacred end of life’s journey. This is part of Illovo’s commitment as part of our social corporate responsibility to improve the lives of communities where we operate,” said Pillay, who applauded the Malawi Government for playing a key role by providing the coolers, “making this a true partnership for community welfare”.

He pledged that Nchalo Estate will always support Chikwawa to be thriving communities and to make sure that the mortuary is maintained — while also asking community members to desist from vandalism and theft of its infrastructure and sugarcane.

“Let’s work together to create a thriving community. We are not asking for anything in return through our support but just mutual partnership in the economic development of our dear country,” he said.

According to the director of the construction company Failos Kassam, the project took them two months to compete from April to May this year and that he strictly followed the designs as provided by the client in collaboration with hospital management.

“I am proud to witness the handover and I tank Illovo for trusting in Kassam Construction Company having before carried out several of Illovo’s construction needs.”

Mortuary attendant, Norman Chadzapanduka said the condition of the old mortuary posed some health risks to staff and bereaved family members, adding that it was very sorrowful seeing them struggling to quickly bury their loved ones.