The first ever district hospital in Masaiti Opens

Copperbelt Permanent Secretary (PS), Bright Nundwe has urged management at the newly constructed Masaiti District to maintain higher levels of hygiene standards and ensure that patients are respected at all cost.

The first ever district hospital is being constructed at a cost of K22 Million.

Mr. Nundwe who checked on the operations at the hospital said the out-patient department and the maternity ward have started operating to allow people access health care services.

“The hospital is 95 per cent complete and the departments that are complete under the two phases are open to the public. It is important that people for the first time in history in Masaiti have a government hospital” he said.

Mr. Nundwe said construction works at the hospital are now in phase three and these include the installation of equipment at the Kitchen, laundry and mortuary.

He however noted that the quality of work done so far is good and told the district commissioner to closely monitor the contractor to ensure the walkways to the mortuary, kitchen and the wards are completed before the rain season.

The PS also advised the members of staff to look after the facility because it was built at a huge cost to improve health care in the district.

He said he was not happy with the level of cleanliness at maternity ward and the kitchen.

“This maternity ward is new and today (yesterday), you said you had one delivery in the morning, where is this smell coming from? I won’t accept this because you have disinfectant,” The PS instructed.

District Commissioner (DC), Mike Musonda said following the deployment of 35 medical staff and completion of works in phase one and two the hospital has started attending to patients at its out-patient department and maternity ward to the public.

“The people in the district are relieved from walking long distances to access health care services in Luanshya and other towns. Here people are small scale farmers and they were failing to raise enough money to go for medical services outside the district,” he said.

Masaiti district has had no government hospital before and residents depended on Ibenga Mission hospital for health care services.

And Hospital Nursing Officer Elias Chewe appealed to provincial administration to facilitate the normalisation of rural hardship allowances for health workers at the hospital.

Mr Chewe said there are no serious operational challenges at the hospital but asked the office of the PS to ensure that the hospital has a full staff establishment.