State Vice President Dr. Saulos Chilima who is also leader of United Tranformation Movement (UTM) Party has donated K1 million to Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (QECH).

Chilima’s donation follows an appeal by the head of the referral hospital’s Neurosurgical Unit, Dr Patrick Kamalo earlier in the week in which he reported the breakdown of Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine at the hospital.

Kamalo said nine patients, including children and accident victims, were stranded because they could not afford to pay for the service at Mwaiwathu Private Hospital where a plain CT brain scan costs about K81 000 and a more complicated one fetches K129 000.

“A few patients have been paying for themselves, but obviously most cannot,” said the doctor.

After being touched by this plea, Chilima donated MK1 million to the hospital.

Meanwhile Kamalo has hailed Chilima for his quick response.

“The Neurosurgery Unit at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital would like to thank you Right Honorable Vice President of the Republic of Malawi for the timely response to a social media appeal aimed at raising fund to facilitate urgent CT brain scans at Mwaiwathu private hospital,” read in part the letter circulating on the social media.