MWANSABOMBWE – UCZ MBERESHI MISSION HOSPITAL: 29/08/2025- The United Church of Zambia (UCZ) Synod Women’s Christian Fellowship (WCF) Choir has donated assorted items worth over K33,000 to Mbereshi Mission Hospital in Mwansabombwe, Luapula Presbytery. The donation, which included blankets, bedsheets, cleaning materials, and foodstuff, was made during a mission outreach conducted through the Mission and Evangelism Department (MED).
Receiving the donation, Hospital Administrator Rev. Webster Milanzi gave a brief history of the facility, explaining that it was founded by missionaries but is now under the management of the UCZ. He highlighted some of the challenges the hospital faces, including aging infrastructure, limited funding, and inadequate staffing. Rev. Milanzi described the donation as timely, adding that it would go a long way in supporting the hospital’s operations.
Speaking at the same event, Mission and Evangelism Secretary (MES) Rev. Andrew Chulu commended the WCF for their efforts and selfless contribution to the broader mission of God through the UCZ. He assured the hospital administration that this was not the last of such outreach activities, noting that another visiting team is expected before the end of the year. Rev. Chulu further affirmed the Church’s mission focus, pointing to the introduction of the mission offering as a sustainable way to support activities of this nature.
Founded in 1915 by the London Missionary Society (LMS), Mbereshi Mission Hospital is one of Zambia’s oldest medical institutions. In 1929, the LMS added a Maternity Training and Child Welfare Clinic, which later evolved into a School of Nursing, among the earliest in the region. Between 1958 and 1965, the hospital underwent major upgrades under Dr. John Parry, with funding support from the Beit Trust.
Today, the hospital operates as a Level 1 Grant Aided Facility under the UCZ, with a 100-bed capacity serving a catchment population of around 70,000 people. It is closely linked to Mbereshi Girls’ School, the first girls’ school in the territory, also founded in 1915.
In recent years, UCZ has invested in improving infrastructure at the hospital, including restoring running water, renovating the maternity ward, and constructing a new laboratory. The hospital continues to stand as a beacon of healthcare and education in Luapula Presbytery, blending its missionary roots with modern medical services.