By Mercy Matonga:
In the heart of Malawi's capital, Lilongwe, Bwaila Hospital stands as both a beacon of hope and a symbol of the immense pressure that is facing the country's public health system.
Every single day, between 68 and 75 babies take their first breath within its crowded maternity wards, a miracle repeated over 2,000 times each month. Yet, behind every cry of new life is a story of struggle, exhaustion and resilience.
According to Director of Health Services at the facility Wilson Ching'ani, Bwaila is the busiest maternity facility in southern Africa, more so because it serves mothers from across Lilongwe and surrounding districts.
"The hospital receives women each and everyday from normal to some with complications. For now, we only have two operating tables with an overwhelming number of women," Ching'ani said
With only 12 other facilities in its referral network, the hospital bears the overwhelming burden of maternal and neonatal care for an ever-growing population as Bwaila is also a referral facility for surrounding districts.
Ching'ani says the hospital has only two theatre tables, yet it handles emergencies and caesarean deliveries around the clock.
Despite this, the spirit of the medical team remains unbroken.
"Our staff are dedicated," said the hospital's director. "But the truth is, Bwaila needs more space and more hands. We are simply overwhelmed," Ching'ani added.
Other officials from the maternity wing say space is a luxury. Some women deliver their babies on the floor while others wait in long queues, often attended to after delays because the few available staff are stretched beyond capacity.
"During the day, one nurse may be responsible for 30 women," a midwife said quietly, glancing toward a crowded ward. "At night, it gets even worse -- one nurse for 40 mothers. We do what we can, but it's never enough," the midwife said.
Despite expectations for a healthy baby from every mother, some babies come early and prematurely.
In the nursery, where the tiniest and most fragile lives fight to survive, the situation is just as dire. Ten babies share a single bed, and sometimes four premature infants share one incubator, watched over by only one monitor.
Brenda Marten from Area 25 in Lilongwe City is a third-time mother. From her two previous children she delivered normally and had no problem.
This time, though, Brenda is keeping her fingers crossed for her newly premature baby, who is sharing an incubator with three others.
"I did not know this could happen to me. My breasts are struggling to produce milk and we are here trying to feed my baby, born yesterday and who I believe is hungry," Brenda said while squeezing milk from her breast.
The crisis has not gone unnoticed.
Former president Joyce Banda, who visited the facility , was visibly moved.
"What I saw here touched my heart," she said. "We must hold hands -- government, the private sector and ordinary citizens -- to support this hospital. It is doing so much with so little."
Her long-time humanitarian partner, Kim Macmanus, said there is a need for compassion and collective responsibility.
"This is about humanity," she said. "These mothers and babies deserve dignity, care and hope."
Commenting on the issue, Malawi Health Equity Network (MHEN) Executive Director George Jobe said there is a need to empower surrounding health facilities' maternity wings.
"I know we need a district hospital in Lilongwe, which is a long-term initiative. For now, we need to have more maternity wings where women can deliver babies," Jobe said.
Hospital management believes that part of the long-term solution lies in empowering surrounding health centres to handle more deliveries and maternal care.
That way, fewer mothers would have to rush to Bwaila, easing the congestion that now defines the facility.
For now, however, Bwaila remains a place where the miracle of life unfolds daily, often against staggering odds.
Amid the cries of newborns and the exhausted smiles of mothers, one thing is clear; the hospital, under pressure but unyielding, continues to embody both the fragility and strength of life in Malawi.