This is a significant milestone to boost health care amid a litany of challenges rocking public facilities where serious shortages of essential equipment and other supplies are the order of the day.

Director of Pashelo Charitable Trust, Lloyd Malola told journalists in Blantyre on Thursday that they have already donated the new surgical items at Queen Elizabeth Central hospital and later to Zomba central, Kamuzu Central hospitals and other hospitals in Chikwawa and Nsanje.

“Looking at the need for surgical instruments in our major hospitals, Thandizo organization decided to support us to ensure that patients get urgent and better treatment.

"So, these surgical supplies will ensure that patients across the country receive urgent health care thereby reducing some of the challenges that our doctors face in the surgical department,” said Malola.

An official in the surgery department at Queens, Dr Leonard Chafewa said the support will assist them to conduct excellent operations on patients.

"We do quite several operations and to do those, we need equipment and some of the equipment they have helped us with is critical.

"We are really grateful to a UK based NGO, Thandizo and a local one, Pashelo for their assistance,” said Chafewa.

There is hope that the beneficiary facilities will be in a position to provide quality health care, reducing complications and improving patient conditions.

Some of the donated surgical items include hemostats, dressing FCPS, scissors and needle holders.