Malamulo Mission Hospital in Thyolo has stopped offering free medical services to children under 12, following the withdrawal of support from a long-time American family donor.

The donor had, for years, been covering treatment costs for children at the facility, but the funding ended a few months ago, forcing the hospital to halt the service.

Thyolo District Commissioner, Hudson Kuphanga, confirmed being aware of the development. Senior Chief Khwethemule of the area described the situation as “detrimental to children’s health”.

The chief said previously many children died in the absence of the free healthcare.

“This is a big blow to our children. Many families here cannot afford hospital fees. We need them included in the Service Level Agreement (SLA) that government has with Malamulo,” said Chief Khwethemule.

Chief Khwethemule further suggested that if the situation worsens, children could temporarily replace adults under the SLA. He also urged government to commence the construction of a public health facility in the area.

Meanwhile, The hospital has since written to the Christian Health Association of Malawi (CHAM) requesting that services for children under 12 be included in its Service Level Agreement (SLA) with government.

The SLA between Malamulo and government—facilitated through the (CHAM)—currently covers adults and maternal services only.

CHAM Chief Executive Officer, Happy Makala, confirmed receiving Malamulo’s request to include children in the SLA and said it is under review.

“Although the government’s budget allocations for this year have already been approved, we are in discussions to see if the range of services at Malamulo can be adjusted,” Makala said.

He added that under the now-halted support, both children and adults from surrounding communities accessed free care at the hospital upon producing a letter from their chiefs.