Two months ago, my family and I suffered a devastating and painful loss. My beloved sister, Sandra Mutale Machiya, passed away after suffering a stroke—a situation that was made far more tragic by the systemic failures within our healthcare system.
When we rushed Sandra to a named Hospital in Luanshya, the doctors were unable to determine the type of stroke due to the absence of critical diagnostic tools like a CT scan or MRI.
In the absence of proper diagnostics, only Panadol was administered—an inadequate response to a medical emergency of that magnitude.Despite our pleas, efforts to get Sandra the urgent care she needed were hampered by a bureaucratic and inefficient referral system.
Although Kitwe Central Hospital’s CT scan machine was down, we were relieved to learn that the machine at Ndola Central Hospital was operational. Sadly, protocol required that the referral go through Roan Hospital instead of directly from Thomson to Ndola. This unnecessary delay proved fatal.
At Roan Hospital, instead of acting swiftly on the earlier recommendation, the staff insisted on conducting their own assessment, sending the ambulance back to Thomson and causing even more delays. Despite our repeated appeals, Sandra was only moved to Ndola for a CT scan the following day around midday. By then, it was too late. Doctors at Ndola Central Hospital confirmed that the delay had critically impacted her chances of survival.
Sandra could have survived if:
1. Luanshya District had a CT scan to enable prompt diagnosis and treatment.
2. The referral system allowed for seamless and immediate emergency transfers.
3. Emergency protocols were strictly adhered to by staff at Roan Hospital, with a sense of urgency and duty.
In light of this painful experience, I am appealing to the Ministry of Health and civic leaders in Luanshya to:
• Prioritise the procurement and installation of CT and MRI machines in all districts, especially in Luanshya.
• Streamline hospital referral protocols, allowing for faster emergency responses across districts.
• Ensure medical staff are adequately trained and held accountable for emergency care, treating such cases with the urgency they require.
It is unacceptable that in 2023, Luanshya failed to implement its CDF projects when they had such critical needs. I call upon all local leaders to channel allocated funds toward life-saving infrastructure. Let us not wait for more lives to be lost before taking action.
Let’s prioritise life above all else.
By Chisanga Machiya
You gotta be F..ing kidding me! in this day and age hospitals do not have basic life saving equipment?? How are doctors treating stroke patients? With the rise of fast foods, high blood pressure is on the rise in our communiites and it should be number 1 on each hospitals priority list to be able to address stroke emergencies . This is so sad. Such a beauitful young like lost
This is sad reading.
Sue the minister of health, make it big. $100 million dollars!!
Whoever manages those health facilities mentioned must be arrested.
These days if you go to hospital in Zambia or South Africa, better start making funeral arrangements.
Saving precious life precedes bureaucratic protocols.That is why all over the world ambulances and other emergency service vehicles are not subject to traffic rules in an emergency situation.
Zambia you’ve failed this family and the nation at large with this red tape blunder.
Why do Zambian medics make it seem like patients are asking for the hospital staff’s favor? The ministry of health should review Unnecessary red tape designed to show who is boss. We pay for these things. It’s our taxes we are claiming from. Let’s have a revolutionary change in attitudes and bureaucracies ba minister of health
The service in Zambias hospital is pathetic. And it will require a committed government which can send spies masquerading as patients to understand what is going on on the ground. The situation is very very bad, you have to be a patient or a relative to a patient and be in hospital to understand the magnitude of this seemingly regretable and accepted culture in Zambia. There is no urgency at all
Those health workers even slap patients…
They treat patients as if its their fault to fall sick.
The fact that it’s very difficult to shout at some of these people for fear of consequences as a patient or someone with a patient makes them think they are invincible. They deliberately apply a laissez-faire attitude knowing you can’t say or do something bad while you or your patient is in their care. We need a proper system reset so that we get rid of bad eggs. However, not everyone is like that because i have had an experience really nice doctors and other care givers.
Yayi! Those working in urban hospitals especially are horrible! They are just waiting to go to Saudi Arabia
In the meantime, the chosen few are evacuated to hospitals abroad. The monies spent for these evacuations would by now have bought countless medical equipment.
This family is now left to mourn the loss of a loved one whose life could have been saved if only….
Zambians in the Christian Nation of Zambia, we really deserve the leaders we elect.
It is justiciable for health providers to fail to provide basic services. Civil society needs to think about taking government to court for criminal negligence. Emergency response team must be empowered by community and government authorities
Iam a little bit older than Zambia. I was born in Ronald Ross hospital in Mufulira and spent time at under 5 in there. My friends whose legs we often broke at football would recuperate in the hospital. It was fantastic. The nurses in their white uniforms looked like they had dropped from heaven
The food was hotel standard. The wards were cleaner than State House- even community house yeah. A doctor would see you inside 5 minutes.
What happened? How did the nurses switch from smiling to frowning? Why do the hospitals have that stale smell? Why can’t you see a doctor in 5 hours? Oh
I forget..we are ruling ourselves
Kkkkkkk!
The very day we removed KK Dictatorship out of power and introduced democracy that is the very day Zambian lost their fear, respect, patrotism, accountability, honestness, intergrity etc.
people were afraid of KK Dictator.
too bad. Doctors refused to help you. such a beautiful woman like.
Zambia is no longer the same. Standards every where have fallen. And of course worsened under this government. Nobody seems to care. It is beautiful speeches every day from government officials. I am non partisan but truth be told, the current government is the worst to ever rule Zambia. But opposition is also fragmented and none has shown us a realistic, measurable and time bound plan, zero
Kapena kuchivala chabe chi Zambia, we got independence but we have failed. Where have you seen a country allowing mining investors to externalise all their profits and leaving crumbs called salaries and statutory obligations in the country and you expect the country to develop. And you have been to school. So the country won’t have essential medical equipment in all districts and we will be loosing lives needlessly
A young American Indian medical lady who was on some medical attachment to UTH for 1 year last year told us upon finishing her assignment that there were many deaths at the UTH which should not result in death. And she said that many of the medical conditions at UTH never resulted into deaths in her home country. Much as i may not have the exact details to her statement, maybe an independent investigation commissioned by the powers that be may help. Asking in good faith
Our nurses are the number one culprits in causing deaths in our hospitals and this must change. They are very uncaring and will see that once you complain about the treatment of your loved one, that loved one will almost certainly die due to negligence or in worst but very common cases as revenge for the complaint you as a caring relative have raised against the utter lack of care these terrible nurses show.
Why choose to be a nurse when you lack compassion? Many choose this profession just for employment sake and to look good in those uniforms.
We need govt to act on this fast before we lose so many more from these wolves in sheep’s clothing.
The family should actually sue the hospital responsible so that lessons are learnt and the system changed.
I have said it many times bureaucracy and red tape are Zambia’s number one enemy and not corruption. Had someone paid an administrator to quickly push for a referral or attention to their beloved one that’s only when they will receive the care they are entitled. This should not be the case. Let justice be sought not only for the unfortunate deceased in this case but the countless others have have passed due to terrible negligence and a health system that has failed beyond comprehension.