Thyolo Health Facilities

Since access to healthcare services is a key component of quality outcomes, rural providers play a significant role in delivering timely, effective, and safe care


Unlike an urban population that benefits from the ability to select where they receive their care, rural communities usually do not have a choice when deciding where to receive treatment. They depend on their nearest healthcare facility as their only option.


Compared to hospitals, health centres are small, but what they offer in regard to quality, technology and service makes a big impact on the community. Although most health centres are not equipped to offer a broad array of speciality services, what they do provide to patients and communities is essential. 

These health centres play a key role in reducing patient visits and reducing overcrowding at Thyolo General Hospital. Because people are receiving care close to where they come from, it helps them to spend more time doing their homework, which boosts the country's economy.


These small hospitals are very important because they provide a lot of services to a lot of people.


Christian Health Association of Malawi (CHAM)

The Christian Health Association of Malawi (CHAM) is the largest non-governmental healthcare provider and the largest trainer of healthcare practitioners in Malawi. CHAM provides 37% of Malawi's healthcare services and trains up to 80% of Malawi's healthcare providers. Their facilities primarily serve rural and hard-to-reach areas, providing crucial, high-quality health services to some of Malawi's poorest and most underserved populations.


CHAM is a network of church-owned health facilities, hospitals and training colleges. Due to its strength as a network and status as a non-governmental entity, CHAM is able to provide lower-cost health services, promote diverse and speciality healthcare services, and quickly disseminate best practices and innovations.


The CHAM network is made up of over 175 health facilities and 12 training colleges located all over Malawi. CHAM works to coordinate, facilitate, provide technical support and develop health services among all members in order to provide quality health care and in all matters act for the benefit of the people of Malawi.


Thanks to the power of its extensive care and training network, CHAM is able to build upon the successes of its member units, increasing the uptake of best practices in prevention and treatment. CHAM facilities promote access to high-quality, affordable healthcare in Malawi, and are on the front lines of Malawi's fight for health equity.


Vision

CHAM envisions a Malawi where all people are able to access high-quality, affordable health services. As an organization, CHAM strives to be a leader in the provision of holistic, quality, inclusive and sustainable health services for all people in Malawi, as inspired by the healing ministry of Jesus Christ.


Mission

CHAM is an ecumenical organization committed to providing administrative and technical support to all member units including hard-to-reach areas so that they provide holistically, quality, affordable, and accessible gender-sensitive health services that have preferential treatment for the poor.


Values

CHAM and its member facilities are committed to providing care and training in line with our core values:


Estate Dispensaries

The estates offer medical services or care to workers and other people from surrounding areas.

In Malawi, patients pay for treatment when they visit health facilities that are not run by the government.  However, the employees, their dependents, and people from the surrounding community access free medical services in the estates. From the estates’ management point of view, these health services are free to everybody (workers and non-workers). However, the capacity and the resources differ from one estate to the other. 

Most plantations in Thyolo have better clinics, and they provide first treatment before referring the patients to a government hospital. Indeed, some of these state clinics have better facilities, equipment, and qualified personnel.