In the summer of 2011 the Adventist Hospital in Blantyre, Malawi was facing water shortages on an ongoing basis. Despite complaints to the Blantyre Water Board, the issue was not being addressed. “It has been a persistent problem” said the Hospitals Chief Executive Officer Kirby Kasinja. “We have been complaining but we are just being ignored.”
Kirby Kasinja, Chief Executive Officer for Blantyre Adventist Hospital gestures in front of the hospitals water tanks, explains how water shortages affect patient care.
The Executive Director for the Malawi Health Equity Network Martha Kwataine stressed the importance of consistent water flow. “If there is no water in hospitals, there are very quickly issues of sanitation” she explains. “Water is key to ensure that infections do not spread.” jhr trainer Travis Lupick and local Malawian journalist Madalitso Musa caught wind of the situation and worked together to produce a story covering the water shortages at the hospital. Shortly after Lupick and Musa co-published the story “Hospitals Struggle With Water Shortages” in The Daily Times newspaper, the Blantyre Water Board investigated the issue. Result? Days later steady water flow to the hospital was restored. Read the full story here