Dr. Jean Kalilani ‘K2 Million’ Trophy To Encourage Dowa Central Youth Stay Health, Avoid Criminal Acts

Kalilani accompanied
by Grace Chiumia meeting
With players 

Dowa Central constituency legislature, Dr. Jean Kalilani, has launched football and netball league worth K2 million in order to encourage young people in her constituency live a healthy life style through sporting activities as well as keep them busy so that they do not engage in criminal activities.

Kalilani& Chiumia pose
with Black Rhino team

Kalilani pose with
Mponela United 

Kalilani well known in her constituency as ‘A Nachika’, launched the trophy at Mponela football ground on Saturday.

“The reason we put this league is to keep the youth busy and stay away from behaviors that would bring problems to their health” said Kalilani, Minister of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare 

Kalilani with Dowa Governors for DPP

Kalilani with Patriotic Democratic Cadets

“Going smoking will bring problems to their lungs and going after girls or men they will get sexual transmitted diseases like HIV or even going for stealing, it will not help them. But when they are busy with football and netball, they will stay fit and their mind will be busy focusing on sporting activities.” explained Kalilani 

Kalilani added that the league will further help to unearth talent needed in both netball and football national team.

Grace Chiumia

Minister of Sports and Culture, Grace Chiumia, a guest of honor at the launch commended Dr. Jean ‘A Nachika’ Kalilani for promoting sports in her constituency.

“This is quite important” she said, “Let me thank Dr. Jean Kalilani for launching this trophy, this is one way of helping the youth to avoid other behaviors. You know, by now others would have been drunk or fighting but are here to watch or to play games. And also this is a way where youth are showcasing their skills. So, it is quite wonderful”

Kalilani ready to score

Chiumia also encourage other Members of Parliament and Cabinet Ministers to emulate what Dr. Kalilani has done.

At the launch of the league which is estimated to run for a period of three months, people watched a netball game and two football matches where each winning team got K50 thousand prize while the second position team went home with K25 thousand.

Kalilani is set to score as
goalkeeper is
getting instructions 

For Netball game, Mponera Police Officers lost to Sambani Sisters while football games, DPP Governors from Dowa district lost to Patriotic Democratic Cadets (PDC) from Blantyre and Black Rhino from Blantyre lost to Mponela United.

Its a Goal! By Jean Kalilani

Malawi Introduces Visa Regime To Visa Paying Countries

Kalilani making and govt officials

Foreign nationals whose countries require Malawians to pay visa to enter their countries will now be required to pay visa to enter Malawi effective 1st October 2015.

The announcement made in Lilongwe on Monday evening cuts a long time regime where Malawi government allowed foreign nationals from visa paying countries to enter the country without visa.

Dr. Kalilani

Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security, Dr. Jean Kalilani when making the announcement, however, said the changes will not affect: Nationals from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries, except Angola; Nationals from the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA); Diplomats and Government officials; and Nationals from all countries that do not require Malawian nationals to pay visa fees when traveling to such countries.

“The validity of multiple entry visas (6 months and 12 months) shall reciprocate to the validity of multiple entry visa in the corresponding country” said Kalilani

“This decision is normal for reasons of security matters; you cannot just have people just entering the country anyhow, there must be a control and one of them is this visa regime.” added the Minister when asked some of the reasons that necessitated government to implement the new visa regime.

The minister has therefore played down rumour that the decision was anything to do with increasing revenue source base as a result of the current economic situation. But said, government wants to reciprocate visa regime its citizens are being subjected to when they travel to such countries.

Kalilani explained that the new regime was gazetted on 1st July this year, but implementation has been extended to 1st October this year in order to give adequate notices to travelling foreign nationals and the travel industry.

“Travellers are strongly encouraged to obtain their visas well in advance at their nearest Malawi Diplomatic Mission to avoid unnecessary inconveniences at the port of entry.” Warned Kalilani 

She also advised that visa applications can also be made through online requests using Immigration Department website (www.immigration.gov.mw) and that payments may be made through the same Malawi Embassmies, Consulate Offices or at port of entry.

The Table below shows categories of visas, and applicable fees payable. Different rates apply for the same type of Visa depending on whether it has been paid for in Malawi or at a Diplomatic Mission.

Category	Within Malawi (US$)	Malawi Diplomatic Mission (US$)
Transit Valid for 7 days	50	70
Single entry (to be used within 3 months from date of issue)	75	100
Multiple entry valid for 6 months	150	220
Multiple entry valid for 12 months	250	300
Gratis	Free	Free

Govt Says No Plans to Introduce Public Hospital User Fees

Malawi Government has dispelled assertions that it intends to introduce user fees in public hospitals.

Minister of Health Honorable Dr. Jean Kalilani says government has no plans to introduce user fees in public hospitals and therefore the ongoing debate on the matter is just confusion of reforms being carried out by the Ministry particularly on  "Revitalizing Medical Insurance Schemes in the Country."

"Ministry of health is doing various reforms and one of the reforms is to revitalize Medical Insurance Schemes in the country. Our plans are to have as many people as possible and those that can

afford to be on a Medical Insurance scheme. This will ensure that all those with Medical Insurances can ably access fee paying Health Services across the country using their medical insurances. This will mean that people will have more options for accessing health services but also on the part of health service providers,

it will mean that there is an opportunity to decongest public hospitals as some people will opt for fee paying services whereby they will use their medical insurances."

"In this same proposal, we are also exploring possibility of extending fee paying sections in public facilities so that they work side by side with non paying sections. The idea is to have all those without medical insurance and preferring to access free services to continue accessing public health services free while for those with medical insurances and

preferring to access fee paying services sections

in public facilities be able to do so. This system is already in existence in all Central

Hospitals where they have fee paying services sections and what is being explored now is whether such fee paying services sections can also be rolled out to other public Hospitals." Explained Kalilani

She therefore said this is probably the area that has created some confusion

 among the general public

and some civil society groups. 

"I must say clearly here that we do not have any intentions to ask people to pay for health

services. Our proposal is to have more people on medical insurance and access paying services in public hospitals." Assured Kalilani

"We have observed the debates around this issue and we want to inform the

general public that any debate that ensues on user fees is invalid and may not

contribute to the final outcome of our proposed reforms."

The health minister further informed that, Department of Economics in Chancellor

 College in conjunction with the College of Medicine are analysing such aspect to gauge its efficacy and will be advising on what is possible and how best it can be done.

"Once they have concluded their work, there will be consultations on the subject

 matter with various stakeholder groups and once

the ideas have been refined

and agreed, the Ministry of Health will take up the matter with Cabinet to seek its endorsement and approval."

She alsi said a Bill will be prepared and get submitted to the National Assembly so that a specific law on Health Insurance can be debated and passed by the National Assembly and have it  implemented from July, 2016.

Other reforms that the ministry of health is conducting includes of establishing a Health Fund to support health service delivery in the country; Reviewing the current arrangement between the Ministry and Christian Health

Association of Malawi (CHAM) as the current Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) dates back to 2002 and; reforming Hospital Operations. 

Under Hospital Operation reforms, the ministry is considering ways of making all Central Hospitals autonomous and independent so that they have independent

oversight bodies in form of

Board of directors; to have management of District Health Services separated from the Management of District

Hospitals and; to have non-core services in public Hospitals delinked from core services of Hospitals so that

non-core services are run in partnership with Public Partnership (PPPs).

Dr. Kalilani has since emphasised that under the Hospital autonomy reform, the plan is to have representatives of the people participate in running of public hospitals while the Ministry of Health concentrates on its core business of providing policy guidance, setting standards and operating procedures, guidelines, supportive

supervision and other functions.