President Edgar Lungu says the construction of the Lusaka specialised hospital is a land mark achievement in the health sector.
The President says the hospital is a fulfilment of his campaign promises in the health sector.
President Lungu says the PF will emerge victorious in 2021 because of the development projects it is implementing across the country.
President Lungu says the hospital will be a centre of excellence in the SADC region because people will no longer be travelling to India for specialised medical treatment.
Speaking during the ground-breaking ceremony, President Lungu instructed Minister of Housing and Infrastructure Development Ronald Chitotela to ensure local contractors benefit from the Project.
The President also directed Minister of Health Chitalu Chilufya to devise a policy on work place HIV among construction workers.
And Dr. Chilufya said the specialised hospital will promote medical tourism in the region.
He said the facility will also promote specialisation among medical personnel.
Meanwhile, Mr. Chitotela said it is impressive that President Lungu is delivering on his promises.
And Chieftainess Nkomenshya Mukamambo said the health facility will serve the people and help reduce government expenditure on evacuating patients abroad.
The traditional leader urged President Lungu to ignore his detractors and focus on delivering to the people.
Couldn’t you have chosen a more central location?
…Anyways this is a good development. This is what we want, not buying wheelbarrows at $42Million
Chongwe is a central location. I just hope this time it is true that we will not see any evacuations to India,UK and South Africa. When they say specialized hospital we expect specialized equipment and specialized doctors
This hospital will be a fee paying hospital (how else will it be specialised?) So locals ideally wont benefit unless government will subsdise the foreign health tourists! The point is for such a venture to be effective, it has to be self income generating. I would then think locals will get pro bono services but not for daily day to day ailments like akaswende, tb, diarrhea etc. Im still not clear how locals will benefit!
Sounds a good thing. But it will not be completed, just like Mongu stadium or Mushindo University. They only get commissioned, when commission is paid.
What’s needed are specialized doctors and other healthcare givers! A building will not cure people! Why not clean up UTH to start have and come up with a doctor retention program instead of being stuck with Mujajati!
Zambia trains doctors at great expenses and they leave at will with no consequences. Shame on you all with your fu.cked up high cost healthcare. Fuseke!
Indeed, he meant the 1% of the Zambian Population.
Again not thinking about the ordinary Zambians, who die like flies simply they can not afford to be flown to India.
To ordinary Zambians, the clear message is that this state of the art is not for you ordinary ones. This will cater for politicians and rich people.
@Nubian(ex), I like your comment today.
But remember Zambian don’t go to school for a service, we get training to be called something like “DR. nostra”.
specialized hospital,in medical field there is alot of specializations like,organ transplate,cardiology,and money other categories.bring modern med.tech hosp equipment to UTH,as they already have specialized blocks but no high tech med equipment to speedup the diagnose of various diseases.
People are calling Lungu a tourist, he is not. He’s a small time thief who stole from a client.
@1 THINK BEFORE YOU OPEN YOUR MOUTH. IF THE HOSPITAL IS TO CATER FOR THE SOUTHERN AFRICAN REGION, THEN IT BETTER BE NEAR KK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WHERE IT CAN BE EASILY ACCESSIBLE BY MEDICAL TOURISTS. MY WISH IS THAT THERE WILL ALSO BE A DENTAL SURGERY. THE DEPARTMENT CAN MAKE A LOT OF MONEY FROM WESTERN COUNTRIES ESPECIALLY THE UK WHERE DENTAL MEDICS ARE SKY-ROCKET EXPENSIVE. GOOD MARKETING STRATEGY WHICH PACKAGES DENTAL SERVICE AND HOLIDAYS WOULD SEE THE HOSPITAL FLOODED IN NO TIME AS THE FEES WOULDN’T BE AS ABNORMAL AS IN THE UK AS ZAMBIA HAS TOP-CLASS DENTISTS, ALREADY. SO, LUNGU, BRING THAT SPECIALIST HOSPITAL ON AND LOOK BEYOND THE REGION IF IT WILL EVEN OFFER DENTAL SURGERIES.
How come the cost of the project is not mentioned?
“President Lazy says the hospital will be a centre of excellence in the SADC region because people will no longer be travelling to India for specialised medical treatment.”
Which people? Its only him and Politicians that can afford going to India for a mere check up.
This a welcome move. However how is going to be funded and what is the cost? The fact that the Chinese Ambassador is in attendance gives us a clue of who the contractors will be. Mr. President these projects are good but why not finish the ones already started so that we rationalize Government expenditure. The continuous launching of projects is what made fail to get the IMF loan, where it was revealed that Zambia is at high risk of debt distress. These Chinese moneys are not cheap as it seems, otherwise Government is bound to have a lot white elephant projects.
IMF is run by the West whose immediate business nemesis is China. Where the Chinese are excelling, the West will condemn….i mean everywhere. To get to the developmental level we desire as a country we will need to borrow. Forget all other political rhetorics, the question is from whom will we borrow, IMF or China?
@Chandwe, in fact even the so called “West” has heavily borrowed from China and their economies being supported by Chines money (in form of billions of Govt bonds bought by China.) All you have to do is listen to the discussions among politicians during elections in these Countries to get a sense of their indebtedness to China. Yet they go around the world telling everybody else not to borrow from China. Go figure!!!
In Jan 2011 LT ran a story about a K7 billion hospital being finally constructed and completed in Chongwe…is this comission a new wing to that hospital.
Kikikiki….. ati “mwalya again bamambala!”…you made my day.
Look even @Nubian Princess (diehard PF), for the first time, is now spitting out her frustration.
Good, go on ECL keep on working we are still behind you. While others are busy anguishing, never mind them. Develop all the areas so that by the time they come to win if they will in 2046, if they will still be around they will have nothing to do but go back to OMBELA Ngombe for their milk……kkkkkkkk
Is he the most intelligent brother leader Zambians got? Specialized Hospital means having the most qualified staff and equipment. Specialist surgeons in Chongwe? How many operating theaters? Why not tell the people that, you will build a good general hospital to cater for all illnesses rather than lying that you will have a specialist hospital in the bush. And daft as they are they were all applauding the dear leader. Be truthful!
@7, WALICHONA SANA? CHONGWE IS A BUSH? YOU WILL BE VERY LOST WHEN YOU VISIT ZAMBIA.
Is that realy a job for a so called president………..?
His office is haunted by the spirits of hardworking past presidents…they do like lazy bums so he runs away!!
Its located OPPOSITE zaf paja pa road block on the way to the airport, hence Location is PERFECT, I KNOW many people dont know that that is chongwe area. Again Hon Japhen Mwakalombe the youngest and most aggressive minister has performed, MASEBO NEVER CARED ABOUT DEVELOPING THE CONSTITUENCY, MWAKALOMBE FOR 2021
“Hon Japhen Mwakalombe the youngest and most aggressive minister has performed”
Mwakalombe the Youngest Minister?
Mwakalombe – 1970
Kampyongo – 1972
Chitalu Chilufya – 1972
Harry Kalaba – 1976
Kampamba Mulemga -1976
Vincent Mwale – 1978
My question is, how is Mwakalombe the Youngest Minister?
WHY DOES HE HAVE TO BE THE ONE TO DO SUCH SILLY JOB OF BEING THE ONE SO THAT THE BUILDING CAN START. IT IS NOT PART OF YOUR JOB DECRIPTION. JUST DEVELOP THE COUNTRY AND LET PEOPLE SEE THAT DEVELOPMENT IS HAPPYING. AFRICAN LEADERS YOU MAKE ME LAUGH, IT LIKE YOUR OFFICE IS NOT BUST FOR REALLY WORK……..WAKE UP TO DEVELOP THE COUNTRY WE DONT NEED TO BE TOLD THAT SUCH AND SUCH IS BEING BUILT. YOU HAVE TRAVELLED DO YOU FIND PLACES IN DEVELOPED COUNTRIES SAYING COMMISSION BY LEADER OF THOSE COUNTRIES……..STOP EMBRASSING US WITH SUCH ACTIONS.
Bhoza iwe, you tell me you have never seen Presidents in so called developed Countries launch projects or policies on site with relevant people from a particular sector around them? Just a week ago ‘The Donald Trump’ was launching his Tax Cut Plan surrounded by heavy duty trucks and Truckers…..and you have to ask yourself, what does Truckers have to do with Tax reforms? And shouldn’t the President left that task to his cabinet secretary responsible to announce or launch that program? The answer is simple: Visuals are important and Presidents bring the kind of spot light to a policy/project no other person/politician can render. And is politics, pure and simple…and nothing wrong for politician (like the President) to play politics. They all do it!!
He says this all the time…who instructs when a contract is already being funded via Exim Bank…that Chine Ambassdor did not merely just come to sightseeing in Chongwe!!
IMF recommended that no new projects should be started. Let govt finish the old projects so as not to contract more debt. But govt is dumb, blind and deaf.
Great Stuff! This is the first time, the term Medical Tourism is held positive! In UK, they usually spit it out because the so-called Tourists do not pay private fees as this will be the case.
I trust ordinary people will benefit for free or very minimal charges? Hope so.
Easier said than done. Let’s wait and see how things unfold with regards to this project. Bankruptcy is expect before project is completed after the greedy have siphoned ea lot!
Well done Sir! Time to put the hopeless party and its hopeless leadership and its supporters where they belong! The tribal party can yap, but you have achieved so much in such a short time! Don’t listen to losers who want to derail your developmental agenda! “Stop children!” UPND is a cancer and must be put in one of the wards or even Chainama.
Projects to siphon money away in the name of development
@HaJayJay, the other one, it will not rule! I mean, the evil spirit!
Chieftainess Nkomeshya is a real stakeholder and knows what she is entitled to.
When is this lazy man going to commission the upgrade and cleanup of Misisi ,Chibolya plus the cleanup of corrupt tenders? The people of Chongwe should not be fooled by this.
I know why some are bitter ,what you had hoped for was ecl wont bring anything on the table now instead of contrat him or rather go quit you want to bring cheap politics
Edgar Lungu’s PF Govnt means business for mother Zambia.the huge projects PF is implementing will surely change the face of Zambia.just look at how the link Zambia 8000 changed the face of Zambia before 2016 eletions!!now with the new airports in Lsk and Ndola,new hospitals such as this one in Silverest area of Lusaka,the Lusaka-Ndola dual carriage way,ring roads in Lsk,kafue hydro power station,toll plazzas,etc,by 2021 PF shall leave a huge mark on Zambian map.many well meaning Zambians really appreciate what PF has done since 2011.if MMD did just 20% of what PF has done in their 20yrs rule,Zambia could have developed a lot.POLITICS OF HADRED ASIDE,PF IS DOING VERY WELL!!yes,those in Govnt are human beings who can error once in a while,but generally,they are doing a splendid job!!KEEP…
Zambians are full of themselves! What would attract patients from SADC region to come to Chongwe for medical treatment ? Putting up a few concrete blocks does not make a first class medical facility. It is not the building, but the skills of the doctors and other professions. Wake up Zambian! No wonder you pay 1 MILLION DOLLARS FOR wheelbarrow.