Dear Editor,
I am writing to bring attention to a deeply distressing situation concerning my 72-year-old mother, who is suffering from a severe case of gangrene in her foot due to complications from diabetes. Despite numerous attempts to secure urgent medical intervention from the Ministry of Health, no action has been taken.
My mother’s condition is rapidly worsening, and the lack of response from the Ministry has left our family in a state of despair. We have reached out to the Health Minister, Dr. Elijah Muchima, but have yet to receive the necessary assistance. This is a matter of life and death, and the inaction is putting my mother’s life at even greater risk.
As a last resort, I am turning to the media to highlight this grave situation in the hope that public attention might prompt the authorities to take immediate action. I am pleading for your help in raising awareness of my mother’s condition and the urgent need for her to receive the surgical intervention that could save her life.
Attached to this email are images showing the severity of my mother’s condition. I urge you to consider sharing this story to help us secure the medical care she so desperately needs.
Is this how the country treats its senior citizens, particularly those that have served the country?
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Chansa Chipampata
First and foremost, sorry to hear about your mom’s illness and here’s wishing her recovery.
Is government intervention part of her retirement benefits? I thought all citizens were equal and should have own health insurance coverage for even emergencies like this.
My friend while other people are dying for lack of good health care other several people are being sent over seas for treatment. The system is there in the ministry but only the connected know how it functions. People talk. When they meet overseas for medical treatment you can tell by the way they spend when they are just mere civil servants. The system must be open and not operate secretly. I’m speaking from a strong ground.
Chansa, why didn’t you consult us family so we go as a group to Muchima office?
Every illness is bad and every death is a tragedy. However, there are millions of Zambians whose voices will never be heard as they suffer in silence in their homes because of a decrepit health system. What your mother is going through is not unique. She may have been a politician and leader before but it is the legacy these people left that is the cause of where we are now. If she was still an MP she would have been evacuated, leaving the rest to continue suffering. Sadly, it is when they leave power that they see our suffering.
She is a senior citizen under NHIMA. Go to your nearest Healthcare provider including private clinics.
Government hospitals don’t have the best to offer. Secondly most top private hospitals don’t allow nhima. They are open only to competitive insurance holders whom they don’t want to lose if their facilities are inundated by crowds under NHIMA. It costs money to join these health insurances…. they’re able to send you overseas for medical treatment… and that requires real money.
A very sad development. It’s the responsibility of the government to provide good health care for all its citizens. Unfortunately, instead of allowing the professionals to decide on such matters, politicians, and by the way, most of whom are mere id iots have taken it upon themselves. They think they are doing us a favour yet it’s their duty to provide such service. NHIMA is bankrupt and has lately been failing to settle claims all because there’s misuse of resources and interference from politicians.
But why are government hospitals failing to heal this quite common condition? Have they smuggled out the medicines we the people buy? Perhaps we should do away with the ministry of health since it’s doing nothing but misuse our treasury.