President Rupiah Banda says people who are bent on criticizing most of his government’s developmental programmes, among them the plans to purchase mobile hospitals, might regret in future.
President Banda said people should not criticize well-meaning programmes which government undertakes because they are for the benefit of the Zambian people.
He said in Blantyre yesterday that mobile hospitals might not be appreciated in the urban areas but they would be very useful in rural areas where many people do not have access to medical services.
He warned Zambians against listening to his detractors who were speaking against government’s intention to acquire mobile hospitals at the cost of US$ 53 million from China.
Mr. Banda, who was in Malawi to attend the inauguration of President Bingu wa Mutharika, said it is unfortunate that some people were criticizing government for buying 100 hearses, which he said would be very useful to rural people.
He likened what his government was currently going through, to the experience of Dr. Mutharika and his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) during his first term of office, when parliament threatened not to approve the budget because they wanted to make it difficult for him to govern the country.
President Banda said some Malawians thought they were making President Mutharika unpopular but he proved them wrong, when he tremendously improved the economy of that country.[quote]
In the just ended elections in Malawi, Dr. Mutharika got a landslide victory, with most Malawians attributing this to his hard work and resolve to improve the welfare of all Malawians.
And President Banda said Zambia would learn a lot of lessons from the just ended presidential and parliamentary elections in Malawi, which saw Dr. Mutharika’s party winning by popular vote through out the country.
The economy of Malawi grew by an average of 7.5 per cent during Dr. Mutharika’s first four years in office and over 9.0 per cent last year.
Mr. Banda hailed the government of Malawi for electing a woman for the position of vice president and many other female candidates as members of parliamentary.
ZANIS
To me this mobile hospital project sounds OK, but what about those rural areas with impassible roads? How does a vehicle reach an emergency point in such cases? Should’nt we first concetrate on improving infrastructure? Lets’s hear it from those on the ground.
RB reads this blog then!
The truth is they have already chewed the money. Why would Shikapwasha claim that the Mobile Hospital purchase has not yet been made and yet RB says people who are bent on criticizing most of his government’s developmental programmes, among them the plans to purchase mobile hospitals, might regret in future?
Who is a fooling a who???
If you asked these armchair critics here about what they know about rural Zambia and which places they are familiar with, 95% of them are as clueless as they criticise.In rural Zambia patients cover some distance of not less than 30-50 miles to reach the nearest health center walking or moved on bicycles and Ox-cuts. Women give birth in homes and 55% die during the process.As a result, few seek medical care for any curable disesase taking them death toll. Free medical care to the rural Zambia can only realise benefit with such capacity building policies.The Mobile clininics have record of success in collective rural societies.This policy is good as long as capacity building does not stop here but putting up more physical infrustractures, medicine and human resources around the country.
These guys have already bought these moving Hospitals. You can tell from their language. The fact is that they misused a lot of money during last elections and they want to cover up this theft by insinuating they used the money to buy the moving Chipatala. Who is going to maintain it if they have failed to maintain UTH.
No matter how hard you try to justify the mobile hospital it is careless spending. When the hospitals like facilities you prefer buying things which wont last long. Get it in your think head iwe we chipuba that those with not help us, u Ruthless Bastard(RB)
Critics like Sata’s policies of mass firing professional Doctors who sought improved incentives to cub brain-drain and buying nursing Uniforms, Scrubs, Shoes, & name tags without building capacity across the country is not what Zambia need to be a healthy society. Can someone here articulate what Sata in his tenure did to the rural Zambian health challenges as Minister of health other than being an impulsive and irrational reactionist over preoccupied with humiliation of professional Doctors dismissing them massively resulting in a national health crisis preponderous in magnitude. Then outsourcing from Cuba. This why time dictate that leadership must have basic education and temperament.
Constructive criticism that gives alternative propositions is not only democratic, but also patriotic.What Zambians have been seeing instead is aberrational political rhetoric of diversion and denial devoid of common good motive.Denouncing, insulting and denying citizenry rights like education, health, voting and all social progress to those who have retired to their villages is a violation to the universal human rights.These who hate rural populations and campaign to deny them social progress must be guilty of failed leadership visions and unfit to preside over the country.
Political opposition is not all about opposing every Government policy move but standing for what fosters optimal common good benefit. If Government policy is wrong, responsible opposition politics is examplified in counter propositions tossed from the opposition for public review than this culture of Pull Him Down so that his administration fails the nations.Such politics have eaten bitter Bakili Muluzi in Malawi and they are here to put a final nail to the political casket of Sata while pronouncing a life seal on the dreams of Hichilema.Good forward looking political acrobatics that realise the dream are those that don’t play with public interest.
Pls giv us a cost-benefit analysis of these hositals.Why not build a permanent structure?Did the rural areas ask for them?Same goes for the hearses.We r told the rural masses r being exploited.By who?Im yet to come acros a company providing these services.The govt should be sincere.People hv bn crying abt lack of medicine at govt clinics nd this hasnt bn adresd.We should learn 2 set our priorities right.This is not the time to experiment.We cant aford to wait and see whether rb’s experiments wil work.We need pragmatic solutions which hv bn proven
No amount of lies will ever get converted into truth. The Nyama soya`s idea can not work .What is planned for chilubi area , sinazongwe and areas beyond. The baroste plains namwala area which is which is flood prone ,yet there are health centers there .Just improve these centers
Too much cheap politics in Zed, we are paying for the consequences of voting fuulz into the most important office of the land.
Senior Citizen, you are among a few people like Nine Chale, Jamaco, Capitalist and a few others that contribute objectively on this blog. I do not see anything wrong with mobile clinics. Whilest agreeing that GRZ should build more hospitals, this initaiative is just their to supplement others already in place and those to be put in place. With these mobile clinics we need to look at it from the point of flying doctor service. We cannot say lets stop that service because we have hopsitals dotted around in all distrsicts.
Ba RB, how can u justify the operations of these mobile hospitals when right now ambulances can even move within the city to pick patients coz of lack of fuel? To me this is waste of tax payers money. Why cant u build 100 rural health centres instead and recruit medical staff to serve the pipo? It will be money well spent Mr. President!
There are always two institutions that one would mostly find even ,in the remotest part of Zambia, that is , a basic school and a health post/center. Unfortunately ,these posts are manned by untrained locals. So improving on such is more useful than experiments.
#13 Wiseman-reborn, agreed that there is need to improve those existing facilities. What I envisage is that because of their mobile nature, these clinics would encourage doctors who usually do not want to be in rural places to visit rural places at least even tthree times fortnightly. We can build ultra modern hospitals mukati mudyole but there still will be no one to man them. As a way to promote rural people accessing doctor-attention, these mobile clinics could be a good idea.
When ,the subject of mobile hospitals as a brain child of Nyama soya arose a couple of weeks on LT, my observations were;
1. Improve the existing infrastructure
2. Merge it with ambulances or blood bank services
3. I indicated there are mobile clinics already not hospitals, such as sight saves, flying doctors though poorly funded, Mission hospitals mobile clinics, surgical society mobile clinics,military mobile clinics
A million dollar question WHY insist on mobile HOSPITALS???????????
Perhaps I am missing something , what differentiates , a clinic , medical center, a surgery from a hospital. what constitutes a hospital any way?
#16 Wiseman-reborn, I get your point. Perhaps it is the ambiguity with which the whole thing is being promoted. Thanks
# 17 Kamunyama ,precisely my view. It will be fair to all Zambians if a detail explanation was given.
I posted a comment which was no. 2 and it has now disappeared. I repeat, if, according to Shikapwasha, government is still consulting on the purchase of Mobile Hospitals, why is RB saying people who are bent on criticizing most of his government’s developmental programmes, among them the plans to purchase mobile hospitals, might regret in future? Is it serious consultation or coersion?
Have they already chewed their cut from the US$53m and cant now renege on the deal?
Have anyone of you been to Chingombe in Central Province, if 4×4 Toyota Hilux cant reach the place, how many times will a mobile hospital or clinic go there. In cities ambulances have no fuel, where are they going to get fuel for these clinics? Why not improve the existing structures?
Reading comments ,above I am left but with one saying ,the dead are unfortunate , whom can not to see the disguise of the live compatriot .
RB read Robin cook, MD, Vital signs book . Let YOUR medical doctor sharine Desei advise your accordingly on the mobile hospitals .Stranger than fiction.
So what is your take at Victoria hospital in Lusaka ,doc of the president? More questions than answers…………………………………………………………….. Respond through your agents.
Country the be loved Zambia. I take rest.
So RB is so sure that at this point priorites in MOH are manda manadas and mobile hospitals.OMG,these are very wrong priorities.What is required is to improve the existing structures and motivate and retain the various health caders.Mobile hospitals will not work i can assure you Senior citizen,i say so because i have worked in these remote areas of Zambia.Roads are impassable,more in the rainy season unless you want to be bogged for ever.These mobile hospital will not move to go and attend to to one emergency so i believe they intended for cases which can wait.If an emergency occurs while mobile hospital is in the area,that will be a lucky patient.Senior Citizens clearly see that these are wrong prioties that Mr. RB has on his hands.
Nomba ati shani?
Ba govt,
for how long are you going to pretend you are ignoring them??criticism (both constructive and destructive) is the only way forward which can help govt. have checks and balances to its programms.
I think health ,I dream health ,I reflect health ,I practice health and medicine,yet remain with a matrix puzzle ,how do we attain quality ,equity health as close to the family as possible? Mobile hospitals ?? A pilot idea , empirical perhaps , spearhead by who ? RB or Desai?
Impulsive reasoning is the worst, reflective reasoning is better,where as inductive reasoning is the best . I may be wrong , yet time will tell . We do not need a Moses, but a Joseph of the good book…. my view
Bamunshololwa aba batuchusha mumano mwe.
Just been thinking ,can the forensic unit of the police be involved in the combined mobile health .A better term I guess than hospital, Dr Desai what is your thought ,digestion is done ,absorption is yours and nyama soya.
Just another thought , How is under five immunization done in rural areas? How was Zambia certified polio free? Do these two questions trigger anything?
You talk about the rural people not having transport and you want to deter them from buying second hand cars what an irony.
There is no war in Zambia at the moment. Just as they are airlifting relief maize to unreachable areas of Nyimba District using the ZAF choppers, why cant they just re-equip UTH and Kalulushi Citizen Hospital and then use the same ZAF Choppers to test run as air ambulances for a few months to ascertain their effectiveness, efficiency and suitability compared to the much sought after Mobile Hospitals(Ambulances) or the Flying Doctor planes currently in use.
Ba Senior Citizen, mineni amate. Nobody is as clueless as you are on this issue. If really you are as informed as you purport , please help us on these questions.
1. How many doctors are available to be on these death traps you call “mobile hospital”?
2. What type of infrastructure does rural areas have to accommodate such high maintenance undertaking?
3. What disease will wait for the mobile hospital to be in that area for it wait for its onset?
4. What could have been wrong to rebuild and build new Health Centers that could operate 24 hours?
5. A Govt that has failed a Mobile Phone company, what capacity does it have to run a non profit Mobile Hospital?
6. In terms of man power, will these vans manned with Labs, X-ray, Pharmacy personnel? If not who will do all this work?
7. What is the price tag of this trial and error venture?
8. If the flying doctor service could not yield results, what makes you believe this is the solution to the ever elusive answer to help rural areas?
9. For all these mobile clinics in each province, which place will be their launch areas? Provincial H/Qs or they will have remote places were they will be stationed? If so, mention one doctor that you know wants to live out there considering the pay and the hardships involved.
10. If your hardworking MMD has failed to retain medical personnel in bigger hospitals, how will they maintain and retain those housed in your mobile death traps?
11. Technology is paramount in medical operations, who will maintain the equipment mounted on these vans? How will they update programs on the…
Your excellence president RB, if by any chance you get to read my post, please try not to ignore my advice.
If you haven’t purchased the mobil hospitals yet, please don’t. If you are seriously serious about developmental projects, then rather try finish Chipata-mchinji railway link that could give our country closest access to sea, and trust me, you will be remembered as a legend if you can help reconstuct the north western railway link that once linken this country with the atlantic sea through Angola.
Vehicles are expensive to mantain, furthermore, there will be abuses of power such as fuel thieft by people assigned to manage then.
Mark my words mr president:
These mobil hospitals will only lead you to more headache and embarrassment. Use the K10Bn scam as an eye opener yourself.
Are these MH in the 2009 National Budget ? Secondly, how different is the MH from an Ambulance? Surely baba RB, a well equiped Ambulance, like the one in your convoy, is what we should budget for and buy through transparent tender. A country is not a personal institution where one can spend money anyhow! Please RB, slow down and see what FTJ is going through.
Last question Senior Citizen, what are the makes of the vehicles again? When did China make something durable to endure our type of terrain?
I know we can get excited with something, but never lose focus and always realise that when people say they don’t see the value and workability of something, bull dozing will mean dictating and shows how one is stubborn and probably there’s a reason beyond the one fronted. Considering how cheap labor is in Zambia, $53million can perform wonders. In fact this not a $53m venture considering that all these vans will need specialized maintenance and cost of operations. RB, please give us real figures involved in this business. You cannot only give us the purchase price as these will be running on water and they are maintenance free vans. Get real.
The idea of mobile hospitals which to me sounds more like just ambulances is a welcome move but there are a lot issues which need to be clarified. To me these mobile hospitals sound like they will be more for first aid than anything else. There are conditions which just need hospital admittion. Who will manage these ambulances? It looks like we need Paramedics to run them if not then it has to be Clinical Officers and I only hope we have enough of them. I can`t see enough doctors to go round.
What happens when a patient needs admitting to hospital and the ambulance (Mobile Hospital) just got there? Are they going to have facilities for admitting a patient? They should be humongous!
#38 Contd. Some people have spoken about villagers dieing before they reach hospitals. Yes this is true but how are these ambulances going to prevent that? First aid will be given alright, but if one needs to be admitted then it is back to square one. To be honest most villagers do not even seek medical attention for most conditions just requiring first aid.
These are quick fix solutions which I do not think we need. Do not get me wrong though, we need ambulances and more than what the government are going to buy from China. But as long as hospitals are not improved, as long as there are no equipment, instruments, drugs, staff, money to run the institutions, then we are not doing anything. Yes one can be picked in a posh ambulance, even airlifted alright but if they are going to end…
#39 contd. Yes one can be picked in a posh ambulance, even airlifted alright but if they are going to end up in like UTH where they are even required to bring a mattress, plates, water to use in the loo, and, as if that is not enough, given a prescription to go and buy antibiotics, then to me that is mockery.
To be honest after all these years being independent, we should be talking about Air Ambulances (helicopters) being readily available in each district. They are faster and can obviously land anywhere even paka musakuta!
#40 contd. The issue of fuel is another that need looking at critically. Is fuel always going to be available? There is no need to have a posh ambulance if it will not have fuel. Before some people start opening their gobs, we see these things everyday back home where an ambulance can not go to pick a pick because there is no fuel.
This draws me in line with those saying we are better off with permanent structures. They never run out of fuel!
Ala yama be # 40, na Air ambulance ine you need proper communication. Amalaiti tayabomba balishimia kuli uyu umulumendo they fired last week from Zesco. Kanshi transmission yena bwafya. Elyo nayo ama cell phone kunina pachulu when you are in Lundazi to call Chipata. Ala bwafya. Solutions are their, but unfortunately we always have stubborn govts that think they have the monopoly on intelligence. Developed countries invest money in research, but by their own, but institutions of higher learning to find solutions and give grants to do so. Why? Because that’s were you will find people dedicated to find solutions. Awe bena they will sort it out alone with George Mpombo, Mulongoti, Teta and Shikapwasha. What do these guys know apart from boot licking for their tomorrow’s bread and…
#42 Kalos2020 Walip ena iwe! Just finished reading your posts. Very varried points. The problem we have back home is everything is seen as criticism as long as it`s coming from the opposition. You are right, labour is cheap and what government should have done is build simple structures even just one kumushi kumwandi first (lol). But seriously even building more hospitals is a far fetched cry. They should be looking at improving what is there already. Ambulances are needed it`s true. The trouble is these people want to appease the masses and you know it doesn`t take a lot with Zambians. They will go muku vota ati kaili balitushitila ama ambulance. Iyeee! Bwafya!
I have just woken up and to find comments on the mobile clinics by wiseman-reborn is refreshing to say the least. Very well thoughtout and writen but do our politicians listen? Reading bwezani’s statements in malawi has sent a chill down my spine- this guy will force his way. But, my worry is the silence by the Law Association of Zambia on important national issues. Do they really have a clue? These are the learned friends who should be enlightening the people on their rights and how government and indeed bwezani can be challenged. Had it not been for Harrington, the Dorah Siliya saga would have just gone as normal when we have lawyers who pretend to know the law.
#42 Kalos2020 just finished reading your posts. Taumfwa! Very varried points. The problem with us Zambians let alone Africans is we see anything from the opposition as criticism. No wonder you find certain posters defending everything even topics they know nothing about.
You are right, labour is very cheap back home and this government could have done wonders by puting up simple structures or may be just one with that money in the mean time trying to improve what we already have. Choncoli yaliba clever and it`s something they could have easily done.
#44 Contd. The trouble is African governments always look to appease and it`s all about me and this time no forsight! Those ambulances are going to buy MMD a vote and it will just end there.
The modern company, Beijing Automobile Works Co.,Ltd (BAW), was founded in 2001 and incorporates the original Beijing Automobile Works, as well as the first Chinese automobile joint venture Beijing Jeep, Beijing Automobile Assembly and Beijing Foton. How reliable are their vehicles and how tough tested are they? What adjustments have been done to condition these vehicle for our type of terrain? Remember Daewoo Vehicles? Were are they now? Why is RB in a hurry to purchase these vehicles? One other fear I have with Chinese vehicles is that they are like buying a table or book shelf. They come with assembly manuals and you assemble your car in your drive way. Zambia beware. Remember that toy you got for your child? Same with Chinese Vehicles. How environmentally safe are these vehicles?
I think the only people to be ignored here is RB and his government. If they want to ignore people they suppose they represent, why shouldn’t we ignore them too? RB, ignore us at your on peril. Ask your friends in Thailand, Filipines, Malagasy, and your brother Thabu Mbeki in SA. Ala it is important to listen even to those you think are your enemies. They are the only ones who will not lie to you. They tell you as they see it and according to what the people on the street see it. Your boot lickers all they want is milk you. Teta and Shikapwasha are kind of people who will want to milk even a dead cow. Watch for such people. To them you are just a cash cow. Yes, go ahead, ignore us. Our time to ignore you and yours will come.
Advise to Sata and the opposition. This is the time to start compaining in rurai area. These liers can never win in urban areas and so make it difficult in the rurals as well. When they lose in 2011 then trace these cases and lock them up. It is clear Shrek is up to no good at all. Besides, these are aliens and would never do good to Zambia. The thing is, why the hurry to buy these things. These *****s could not even helpone sick guy in Russia last time???. Let them go ahead and we shall hold them responsible when time comes. Arogance will one day cease>>>>>
When people are crisizing you for everything, it is becasue they cant trust you. You have no record Shrek of hard work or at least thinking constructively. The record you are building right now is that of encouraging Dora to be stupid and seeing thugs steal. You will be in trouble after your days in office. We know these things. Zambians are difficult people. Youmay think you are smart right now but hey, ask Chiluba and even Kaunda.
Kalos2020
Learn to speak for yourself please. Do you perhaps have a legion within yourself?
I want to have a mobile clinic near my kraal!
It would also be wise for govt to listen to the people’s reservations on some of these ‘developmental programs’ and then weigh everything carefully before they proceed…yes mobile hospitals have their advantages…when I was at Ibenga you really saw how people struggled just to get a patient to hospital and one image has remained implanted in my mind…there were two men and two ladies transporting a very ill person to the only hospital in that area they were using a bicycle on which they had placed a chair because that was the only way to get this person to hospital…so before we even start considering getting these mobile hospitals we should look at the accessibility of the target areas and just how fisible it is.
# 51, just argue your points. Your immaturity sucks and I don’t want to be part of it. How do you who I discuss this topic with? So, please I am asking you for the last time not to offend those that have done nothing to you. Please, let sleeping dogs lie. I don’t want to tell you something that might affect your health.
#54 Kalos2020 Ba guy #51 bapuba just ignore him. He is a coward. He is somebody you know but only posts under anony and a diffrent flag when he wants to hide. What a wum!
LT Why? #51 has changed to #53. Any way the coward I was on about is Anony, posted at 4:44pm.
Ba 3Rqu, it is an fortunate we have people like anonymous. I think that is why Africa and Zambia in particular will always lag behind. It is these people who have always dragged progressive people like you and me with them in the swallow waters of mediocrity and have capitalized on the poor villagers to forge ahead in their short lives. They are leeches and will always remain so. I have time and again mentioned here that fwebena Zambia, we are open like cups. It accepts anything and everything. It does not question why. RB comes up with a program that most sane people have questioned, this guys because he is a cup starts attacking people who have no bearing on the black hole RB is about to embark on. WHY? Nobody knows.
Can someone share the speficiations for this mobiles hospitals… they may just be big ambulances for we know… the point is you can not argue for or aganist these mobile hospital without full details and their scope of application….