Ward councilor for the area, James Somanje Saenda, has told Zodiak Tuesday that since the clinician left in December last year, communities are forced to cough not less than K10, 000 for transport to access medication at Thyolo District Hospital.

Saenda, says this is impacting negatively to the life of communities in the area of Traditional Authority Mphuka which borders Chikwawa district.

"What surprised us is that he said he was going to holiday, but since then, he never returned. So people are covering long distance from Limvuzu, Usiyani, Limphangwi, Mumdalira, Mwanapwa, Ositeni, Khumbanyiwa to Thyolo district hospital.

"One is required to pay almost K10, 000 for transport to access medication. So, life is very unbearable here", Saenda said.

He adds that they have been engaging district health authorities, but they attribute the unavailability of the facility's in-charge to poor housing.

Thyolo District Health Office Spokesperson, Fanuel Makina, has acknowledged the challenges that people are facing, but says the problem is that duty bearers were failing to sustain the initiative of renting a house for the officer.

"For daily services, it depends on the availability of the accommodation for our officer. They have been renting a house which was small, constructed some time back. But now is not being supported.

“But the distance to the nearest health post for them is Mianga, Mtambanyama, Malamulo and Zimbiri is very far. People from that side, are really in dire need of the services, but since we can't accommodate our officer, that’s why people are complaining," Makina said.

Meanwhile, Makina says Thyolo DHO through Health Surveillance Assistants (HSAs) is still conducting mobile clinics and providing medical supplies to under-five children.