By Chisomo Phiri
Philanthropist and First Capital Bank (FCB) founder Hitesh Anadkat and his family have donated a $720,000 (about K1.26 billion) computerised tomography (CT) scanner to Blantyre Adventist Hospital (BAH), in a move expected to strengthen diagnostic services at the facility.
The state-of-the-art machine was handed over during a ceremony at the hospital on Wednesday.
Anadkat said the donation is driven by his passion for improving Malawi’s health sector and supporting the communities he considers home.
“This is my town, this is my city and this is my community, and the community needed this very badly. So, I thought that if not me, then who? If I can afford to do it, it is my obligation to do it,” he said.
BAH Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Kirby Kasinja welcomed the donation, saying the hospital was fscint significant challenges due to the absence of a CT scanner.
He said the new equipment will take the hospital’s services to another level.
“I am very excited and happy because we missed this gadget, and this donation takes us to another level,” said Kasinja .
Ministry of Health and Sanitation director of curative and rehabilitative health services Frank Sinyiza, who was the guest of honour, described the donation as an important contribution to Malawi’s health sector, saying the scanner will help ease some of the challenges faced by healthcare facilities.
A CT scanner uses X-rays and computer processing to produce detailed images of structures inside the body, helping medical professionals detect conditions such as tumours and other diseases.
The Anadkat family has previously made contributions to Malawi’s health sector as part of its efforts to support communities and improve access to essential services.
FCB is a subsidiary of Malawi Stock Exchange-listed FMB Capital Holdings Limited Plc.
