Health Minister Dr. Chitalu Chilufya has conducted an impromptu spot-check on Kitwe Central Hospital to establish what triggered uncontrolled rodents in a video that has gone viral.
After interacting with patients and health staff for over two hours, Dr. Chilufya established that there was gross negligence by management because the hospital had received K1.5 million for rehabilitation works at the hospital.
He said in as much as the hospital was old it was unacceptable that management would allow rats in patients wards especially after receiving support from the government.
Dr. Chilufya has since instructed Permanent Secretary for administration in the ministry Ms. Kakulubelwa Mulalelo to institute disciplinary action at all management levels for gross negligence.
Dr. Chilufya believes that resources that government pumps in various health departments should trickle down to patients and conditions under which they are taken care of.
He said President Edgar Lungu wants improved service delivery to all Zambians adding that he will not condone poor services and poor environments where they ought to be served.
“The infrastructure challenges will be there, we are working on them, the government released K1.5 million last week to fix some infrastructure challenges here and we expect integrated vector control measures to be put in place in order to stop rodents .” The Minister emphasized.
The Minister said the emphasis applied to all provincial health officers and medical superintendents to strengthen supervision.
“So we will not expect anything less than high-quality health services in clean environments” he added.
Dr. Chilufya has also directed Ms. Mulalelo to strengthen management operations at the hospital and ensure that government support is translated into improved health delivery for Zambians.
Meanwhile, Dr. Chilufya has announced that Kitwe Central Hospital will start conducting COVID-19 testing in the next two weeks.
He said the hospital had enough capacity and human resources.
And Minister of National Development Planning who is also Nkana Member of Alexander Chiteme that President Lungu through the Ministry of Health for quick response in the rodent issue.
He has however called on people to understand that the issue was a management issue and shouldn’t be entertained politically.
You can also carry out an impropmtu visit at BOZ where rats are about to invade our reserves !
But ba Minister naimwe! We have rats in State House.
Where do you think they will go if they fall sick? Hometown ni Kitwe kabili.
Funds were released last week? isn’t it too soon to expect management to act. I am looking at the bureaucracy of procurement and tender process. There are no short cuts in this otherwise corruption will set in. That’s my view
It’s also unacceptable for you Mr minister to remain in position while under investigation. ..
Hahaha ati rodents/koswe heading to BOZ!!
Look in picture a pot of meat next to toilet paper, and you blame PF for rats in patients beds, answer is YES. Blame MP Chinteme, he has never visited Kitwe Hospital.
Good to know these guys follow social media, Zambians then can use social media to get these guys’ attention. They don’t only watch TV, come on Zambians get your cameras out
Did the MP mention to the minister that there are no medicines in all clinics of Kitwe?? His own constituency, not even panadol is available!
Unlike Lusambo’s accessions K2m can do a lot of wonders. The entire KCH received K1.5m which the minister is expecting to see improvement to the institution.
But did it have to take the whole lot of the Minister of Health to travel all the way to Kitwe to sort out the rodent problem? What’s the role of the Kitwe DC and the Kitwe District Director of Health?
Who on earth allows rats in buildings? Drugs are in short supply due to under-funding so it’s not surprising that there’s no money to control rodent infestation as well.
What do you expect when rats run the affairs of the country?
PF must go?
KTH is run like Kanthemba, just like most hospitals in the country. Almost every worker is a supplier to the institution so the decisions they make aren’t in public interest but their own. Although Chitalu Chilufya is a bully he has failed to control these institutions and what we’re seeing are the results
This is why you find places like UNZA, UTH have lots of cats roaming around the premises. They save a purpose. Elo pushi alichipa. Neglegience of epic proportions.
K1.5 million only surely for a major hospital? Come on minister Chilufya, that’s not enough. All kinds of rodents will continue to roam and plunder that hospital as long as you don’t care.
It does not take K 1.5M to get rid of rats, even a K50 can do wonders to rid the hospital of these rodents. Like most civil servants, the hospital staff were just lazy to clean up the facility.
Kitwe central hospital is old , but its on a large place of land government must think of building a modern one to Carter for ever growing population
‘He has however called on people to understand that the issue was a management issue and shouldn’t be entertained politically.’
WHO appoints these incompetent managers? The PF constitution clearly states that only PF members will be appointed to head parastatal and government departments. SO, WHY IS THIS NOT POLITICAL?
That is great proactive work by the minister. Excellent ensuring our safety and that those paid to manage hospital are held to account. Kz
We have said time and again that we are a bunch of hopeless characters with politicians as icing or cherries on the rotren cake if you like. You have the so called ” Hospital management” surpisedly qualified people with Matero degrees and rats take over their environment and it does not bother them.
The funding model for most of these Govt institutions is a reflection on us as a prople_ very very low caliber people. We have no real priorities for this nation. And we expect one head of state to correct what people on the ground are paid for to do.
shosho midya brought this to his attention and not mainstream media, no matter how much you despise and hate shosho midya, its the new normal of reporting, news on the go and not waiting paka 19 hours then, headlines on repeat mode.
@Aristotle theres no way DeadNBC who are just some 2 km away from the hospital could have brought this to the attention of government. Because they are always busy sending cameras to Ministers’ press conferences. They will be fired if they don’t carry these press conferenses. Dora has to be covered , Dr Chilufya has to be covered not to mention the man in State House so theres no time and facilities for the man in the street’s problems. Thank you Social media for coming to our rescue
The great one – Correct. It does not require K1.5 million to get rid of rodents. What I saw in the video is complete negligence. That Ward looked like an abandoned part of the Hospital. The PS for Administration should be held accountable by the Minister and not tasked to go and take action on officers very junior to the Minister – that is called Management 101.
The reason is simple .It is because Tasila’s loose change is 2 million Kwacha and there is no money for managing Kitwe Central Hospital and its patients .
KZ my man
Koswe mu ward from mu mpoto. Where is that chiteni uyu wanyimbo? He needs to amend his song to include “Koswe mu ward” in addition to Koswe mu mpoto!
Definition of INCOMPETENCE: Talking about a problem that has arisen.
Definition of Competence: Talking about a problem that could arise and putting in place preventative measures.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has reprimanded the Minister of Finance Tito Mboweni, following comments made by the Minister on social media regarding the removal of Zambia’s Central Bank Governor by President Edgar Lungu.
In one of his tweets, Minister Mboweni is promising to mobilise if not given reasons why the Central Governor has been fired by President Lungu.
“President Ramaphosa wishes to assure the government and people of the Republic of Zambia that the unfortunate remarks do not reflect the views of the South African Government and its people. The issue is being addressed to ensure that such an incident does not occur again,” the statement by Tyrone Seale, the Acting Spokesperson to the President said.
It said South Africa and Zambia enjoy strong historical…
Kitwe just needs new modern hospital
Thanks to the social media, it is now for all to see the mismanagement bwana Minister you are presiding over.
End result of sleeping on the job – mice come and play.
As the second largest city in the country, Kitwe needs a large modern hospital. Since independence, only Lusaka and Ndola have had new hospitals constructed. The Kitwe Teaching Hospital (formerly Llewellyn Hospital) was built in 1958 and has never been refurbished for more than sixty years and yet it serves not only Kitwe but has a large catchment a large catchment area that includes the Copperbelt, Luapula, Muchinga, Northwestern, and Western provinces. Judging by the evident neglect of this important hospital, one wonders what these guys at the Ministry of Health are doing!
So MOH has no health inspectors and doctors on site…it takes a video for this crook to visit and Seer1 commenting for this. Anyway this is mediocre govt with myopic leaders.
Let’s be honest. Those rats were not “allowed”. They’re part of the establishment and culture of our health facilities and an accurate indicator of the state of affairs in every department of a Zambian Government hospital. In fact it goes beyond hospitals – all government buildings in Zambia are DIRTY. From dysfunctional toilets to broken furniture lying all over the corridors. By the way, even at State House there are vehicles lying on stones!!!! That’s how dirty things are…
Munthu wa kuda ali mu mdima!
He does not understand how NATURE works! We just hope ZEMA won’t allow rampant use of Rat poison because that may lead to another catastrophy! Whenever Rats are killed in large numbers, the Rat Fleas will make patients their new hosts. Ever heard of Bubonic Plague?
What is needed is Biological Control! Bring in Tom to control Jerry! Within a week, you will see change. Don’t use Chemicals please! This can be done in a more Eco-friendly way.
Like cats?
In Zambia we have too many actors. They conjure a problem, create it in real life and pretend to solve it. Just go to UTH and Mwanawasa hospitals and you will appreciate how f’d up Zambia really is. Kitwe hospital is just child’s play.
There are pest control businesses that could be contracted to rid the rodents why not give them business? Well it wouldn’t work for the contractor as ability for one to get paid by a government institution after delivering a service is a nightmare! Seriously those who can remember will recall the once existence of a company called “NODA” with the slogan “Mother of hygiene” that innovated cleaning services in Zambia and it aimed at professionalizing this service. It’s high time if not to spread employment opportunities that government and the private sector consider out sourcing cleaning and pest control services! Many government institutions are rat infested as cleanliness is substandard abetted by careless employees! Rats are attracted by abundance of wasted food (crumbs) in…
contd… paper waste baskets, lots of hiding places (note how files and boxes litter floors) and, office cabinets being used to hide food! Visit Mulungushi House and other government offices a couple of times you wont be disappointed as rats will be scurrying around! However the heavy infestation in unhealthy health facilities!!!!!!!!!!!! this is something very scary!
Those rats were not “allowed”. They’re part of the establishment and culture of doing things in government. Just go to any government office – you’ll see broken furniture carelessly heaped in corridors, dysfunctional toilets and floors that look like they haven’t been swept in YEARS!!! In fact there are even broken down vehicles resting on STONES at STATE HOUSE. That’s how DIRTY things really are!!!!!!
So Chilufya must not rush to Kitwe Central Hospital and shout at anyone there – let’s start with a cleanliness audit in his own office building, its STINKING FILTHY!!!!
So this government minister thinks he can just be sending money?? You need to carry out an assessment of what needs to be done to bring the institution to its former glory!! I doubt he even knows what should be the unit cost of effectively providing primary health care!!
And Minister of National Development Planning who is also Nkana Member of Alexander Chiteme that President Lungu through the Ministry of Health for quick response in the rodent issue.