Government says it is in the process of upgrading five clinics in Lusaka into full hospitals in order to decongest the University Teaching Hospital (UTH).
Health Minister Kapembwa Simbao said the clinics to be upgraded include Chawama, Matero, Chilenje, Kanyama and Chipata.
Mr Simbao said this in a press release signed by First Secretary for Press at the Zambian Embassy in America, Ben Kangwa on Tuesday in Washington DC and made available to ZANIS in Lusaka today.
The Health Minister however stated that a general hospital would be built by the Chinese in Lusaka’s Chainama area in order to complement the work being done at UTH.
Mr Simbao said this was because government is grappling with health matters and takes such issues seriously.
Meanwhile, Mr Simbao has said that there has been a significant drop in the HIV prevalence in some parts of the country.
He however said Luapula and Western Provinces have shown high prevalence rates adding that the high cause of the prevalence rates in the two provinces is yet to be established.
Mr Simbao further said government through the Ministry of Health (MOH) has made Anti-Retroviral (ARVs) drugs accessible to 219, 000 people throughout the country.
He said government is committed to funding HIV programmes through the procurement of ARVs for treatment of HIV patients.
He added that government also hopes to scale up the ARV programme treatment to 300, 000 Zambians who need the treatment.
Mr Simbao said government is committed to the fight against corruption adding that it would ensure that donor funds are used prudently.
Commenting on the K27billion scam that rocked the Ministry of Health, Mr Simbao said investigations were still going on and that those involved in the scam would be tried by the courts of law as fairly as possible.
ZANIS
The stolen funds from MOH could have gone a long way….yaba!
Does it have to be signed by BEN KANGWA here in the U S to be recognised as something important, decisions can be made pa Zed not in DC
Where is the money from MOH first
seriously, this has made me happy.But lets hope its not just some NATO !
Lets have more of such ideas and developments…..
Mushe ,tekanya naiwe mwaiche!
Oh yahh … this is a great idea…from now onwards the following clinics are upgraded to the following; Chawama University Hospital, Chilenje University hospital… by the way we have another university …it is called Mulungushi “Clever Monkey’ University!!
GRZ pls build new hospital instead of all this bull S***T.
Good idea, we need more modern hospitals right in zambia to avoid wasting national resources on taking rotten bodies to India and south Africa.
I don’t know how the Govt is gonna achieve this!!!! Not trying to be negative, i’m involved in revitalisation of Health infrastructure in SA!!! Clinics into hospitals???? It is as good as building new ones!!!
No no no, how can you upgrade a clinic into a hospital??? Seriously do we have brains in Zed???!!! For starters, a clinic is basically an Outpatient department of a Hospital, so when you upgrade a clinic then you have to add the following among other departments; Casualty, Pharmacy, Theatre, ICU, Radiology, Pediatrics Ward, Male general ward, Female general ward, Surgical ward, Physiotherapy, Maternity ward, Administration block, Doctors room, etc.
So isn’t logical to just build a new hospital and leave the existing Clinics to compliment the whole health system in a community???
#9 Tonga Bull. You are bang on. And I agree with you.
I hope these guys define a hospital as you have. Besides do these same clinics have space for extra buildings, car pack etc.
And why did Ben Kangwa have to sign this statement, then the Health Minister reads it out to us. Was it about pride and titles.
There’s an interesting article on news.bbc.co.uk/world/africa on how some of us in Africa love titles. It’s called African view: Honoring Titles. It is hilarious. Please read it.
We are here ooh we shall wait and see what comes out and we pray so.
i hope Matero wont be made in a hospital coz the services are bad
These clinics have been dealing with hospital kind of patients even though they are clinics.It could be that their service goes beyond outpatient treatment thus upgrading to a hospital.UTH will obviously deal with specialties while these clinics will offer general hospital healthcare.I personally would give them a go ahead…after all Lusaka is too BIG to have only one hospital.
#13, i don’t understand when you say “these clinics have dealing with hospital kind of patients”, the situation on the ground is some clinics have some wards for general observation, which is normal. Calling a clinic a hospital won’t assist in any way, the solution is for the govt to build brand new hospitals!!! A hospital is a health institution where one can go and be treated for any basic illness. Lets be realistic in Zed for us to develop, changing names won’t solve the problem at hand
No 9 and 10 spot on, and heres to hoping they know its not just a renaming exercise
Good comment # 9. let them transform the paper work into real structures. If anything, some useless trips outside zambia by the presidential entourage can be cancelled and money channelled to such programmes. They go in big numbers just to make allowances. How can a crowd stay for more than 12 days raoming the world? can resources survive from these wolves? Even America’s Obama does not stay that long. Why zamba???????
I think #9 Tonga bull has laid down a very good point there and it makes a lot of sense. There’s been so much talk about improving Health services already and yet very little has been done. Everytime some government official falls sick, they’re evacuated down South.
This will help dicongest the UTH. For this good idea we will give credit to government when it will be done. Good thinking otherwise.
please not only in lusaka,people in the village need hospitals too.they are tried .
It is a brilliant idea to upgrade those clinics to hospital. Good move
balipena abena kafulumende besu
its like upgrading a Ka NTEMBA to Supermarket!!!
to compliment which work at UTH
what about mobile hospitals?where are they ?or its another carlington maize scandal ?