Zambia’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Leslie Mbula has urged Zambians wishing to undergo specialist medical treatment in South Africa to ensure that they have adequate funds before traveling to avoid being prematurely discharged.
Mr. Mbula has observed that they have been increasing cases of self-sponsored Zambians who travel to South Africa for specialist treatment but run out of funds before completing their treatment.
“Medical treatment in South Africa is very expensive, people planning to come here for treatment as self sponsored patients must first find out what the costs involved before traveling,” he said.[quote]
He explained that when a patient was no longer able to pay for his or her medicals, the private doctors could even switch off or remove any life-saving equipment the patients were using hence causing loss of life.
The High Commissioner further added that it is pointless to spend much money on travel and medical costs when at the end one would not be able to complete the treatment due to having insufficient funds.
This is contained in a press release made available to ZANIS in Lusaka this evening and signed by second secretary for press at the Zambian missission, Philip Chirwa.
ZANIS
This is ridiculous. Why not build better hospitals instead of encouraging people to travel to SA for treatment?
What a world, if you don’t have money it’s certain death but when a politician doesn’t have money his gets his hands into our pockets.
RB’s leadership just needs to upgrade the health system right there in Zambia instead of rushing patients to South Africa. All the billions that have been embezled so far by the ministry could have brought in new medical equipment. People just aren’t serious enough.
Ba Mbula your comments are good but the happenings indicate that the government has failed people in many ways. If there were quality and adequate medical facilities with well paid staff in Zambia people will not be crossing borders to get injections. People take care of themselves in our country in many ways with God’s hand of favour upon them. The major obstacle in Zambia is lack of leadership and expensive sit in people hoping to milk the zambians for at least 10 years. All the signs are there for all to see and the writing has been on the wall for a long long time now. The other sad bit is that when people go to foreign lands for medical treatment they are looked after by medicial personnel from Zambia whom the government could not care to give reasonable emoluments. Be proud…
Why do we have a government that even dares comment on something they caused in the first place. That ten billion embezzeledn could have changed the face of U.T.H in one week. Question, are the people in government just that dumb that the only know how to collect a paycheck or steal because they cannot communicate at even the basic level? It is hard to instruct others to work on a revolutionary project, when you yourself do not even know what progressive means.
mbula you should have said
PEOPLE STEALING BILLIONS SHOULD STOP AND HELP BULD MODERN MEDICAL FACILITES.
RB help please. we live once.
Almighty God hear our prayers and save us from our failures.
Let there be equal treatment. If other people have to go to SA under full sponsorship of the government, everyone must receive the same. The US Congress and top senior officials pay for their healthcare, how about those useless rubberstamping MMD so called MPs? How on earth can government pay for VJ treatment but wants a very intelligent Dr to be studying in Russia to fend for himself? What type of leadership do we have in Zambia? Mbula and his office must pick up the tab everytime someone runs out of cash. This government must know that we signed a contract immediately they got into office. We have a Social Contract and only the govt breaches its part. WHY?
Mr Mbula, who is to blame for the situation of travelling with insufficient funds? Who does not want his or her life to be saved like you are saving Titus Mpundu alias FTJ Chiluba? People are travelling with a hope that some how their government will also feel pity and come to their rescue if they are near FTJ’s or VJ’s bed in Morningside Clinic. But alas, they are mistaken. Their Z ed government does not see them and you Mr Mbula can only blame them for being poor and wanting to cling to life.
Do not worry people. Once mobile clinics roll in, going to South Africa will be a thing of the past! I love Africa.
Dear Bloggers , henry Kapoko is NOT SATA’S nephew or is he related to sata in any way , he is a PF cadre who was given orders for T.shirt printing by PF during the election campaigns and PF paid for the services. PF is not connected in any way with henry’s dealing beyond T.shirts business. And for your information Henry has been supplying the mines on the copperbelts though he get involved in supplying the MOH which was wrong , he got a lot of business away from indians who think they are the sole suppliers of drugs and other medical equipment to MOH, this was the beginning of problems for him. I’m not supporting him because it was conflict of interest.SO TETA’S PROVE THAT Henry is related to SATA otherwise you will face the courts soon. Let’s tell the truth and not lies.
We have Hyenas in government,they only care about themselves.
Oh poor me, life is now for rich people and those of government… Wait.. Is Mbula not ashamed of how they spend taxpayers’ money in South?
It is our money and I strongly feel that we are all equal regardless of the post you hold in the country. I am the future president who needs to be cared.
When are you going to shift Morning side to Lusaka? Let two government officials die in UTH and use the money which could have been spent on them in Morning side to buy medical equipments for our hospitals to save the lives of hundreds and thousands of Zambians who are dying in UTH. We all have a right to live! It may sound evil, but it is the best answer since we don’t have money in our country to spend on poor people like me.. Common man.
Sometimes it takes force to effect change,Zambia might soon explode!!
A point of correction for Mr. Mbula, It is against the scope of practice world-wide for physicians to switch off life saving equipment because of failure by the patient to pay medical fees.
Only under special circumstances can a situation like that happen.
At times silence is golden!
Mr Mbula,it pays to keep quiet at times if you got nothing to say. Not just talking so that RB see that you are working there in South Africa no mr.You end up saying ifishilingile kwati apa so.There is no substance in what you said.You think people are happy to be in such situations? What has your government done to improve things at UTH for people to stop going to morning side?
It’s such a shame to buy hearses instead of ambulances and plan to buy “mobile hospitals” when we have dilapidated ill-equiped hospitals in most provincial capitals. Why not use that money to upgrade what you already have? Mr Mbula, it’s your duty to safeguard the welfare of Zambia citizens in South Africa as well as represent Zambia as a whole. It’s such a shame how Zambia embassies the world over are failing it’s citizens. It’s risky to be Zambian and living abrooad as your supposed embassy will not come to your rescue when in need. Nomal countries come to the rescue of its citizens.
This is not rocket science.All this doppy government needs is proper facilities with all the needed life saving equipment.Offer them a decent wage and most Zambians will be back to work in the country they love so dearly.
helo
ichimutwe mbula
This looks like Rose Bank Clinic in Joburg.
Mbula in animal farm pigery…
Some ‘people’ are air lifted to those fancy places and what are you talking about now? just help those who can not manage to pay-up and are genuinely sick..
This is what people are saying, build hospitals like the ones where the said Zambians are going for specialist treatment, we do not need “China Auto Crap Hospitals.
I agree with one blogger who says for change to happen we need some force, yes indeed I think we need a revolution like happened in 1986 and 1990, as KK he knows.
Ba Mbula you seem like a mature intelligent man, but now ………
#7 I like your thinking very much. Actually Mbula should be an advocate for the people as his public service contract stipulate. We are not seeing any initiatives from this crocodiles. Our time is coming when every Zambia will be accorded the very dicent life deserving. How can you be making such useless remarks.
This is another branch of ‘Zambian animal farm’
Leslie Mbula is living in a p.i.g.g.e.r.l.y comfort and can not think of helping his own citizens when they are in ‘dire straits’.
Shame.shame..
So it means promising young future assets like Cardson Kabwe would be no more had it not been for the unflenching support & goodwill from concerned Zambians. Shame!!!!
SELF SPONSORED? MR. MBULA IS RIGHT, COUNT THE COST BEFORE TAKING A STEP
Mr Mbula.
To use the word ‘or else’ is a threat!!!
This is sad. All that money being spent in SA could have been Zambia’s if it had better health facilities. Not only is it pathetic but Zambia is losing out big time on this opportunity as these plenty Zambians that need quality heath care and are very much willing to pay. I am opening a private hospital the minute i get my hands on same “obama”
Fellow bloggers are you aware that those so called specialised doctors in those south african hospitals are Zambians. like everyone has said, those billions of kwachas being stolen, buying hearses, mobile clinics and misused through unnecessary trips can go a long into acquiring modern equipment and motivating our doctors in our hospitals .
I wish these medical fees were hiked even further so people(politicians) can realise that they need to put their own houses in order. Not the mobile hospitals and hearses I have hearing about. What a waste.
Number 26 ZED, you are right its better to count and make sure you can carter for extra expenses should the illness prolongs.
Mr. Mbula, what you said was wrong , you would have just encouraged the govt to develop good health infrastructures and put enough medicines in hospitals, u nlike you saying people should have enough money when going for treatment in S.A. Up to now you are telling me that you dont know how many can afford to go for treatment in SA? If you are in the govt and everything is done for you, you feel everyone has the same opportunity but wait when when you are out of the govt, ASK GREY ZULU what it feels like
Some bloggers suprise me, is it wrong to advise? Mbulo is marely giving a free advise and you start calling him names? He is right, Plan before you travel period! You want the goverment to build more hospital and bring in modern equipment? forget it… how many times have you made such calls? try to make your lives better or die complaining because no one cares about you!
This Mbula Guy has some form of mad cow disease, why enourage pipo to go aborad for teatment instead of investing in our own health service. This gov are a joke. Bloggers, my unlce was involved in an accident as a result lost his memory and his speach was slowing down , they took him to a hospital in the CB for CT scane,, they asked him to pay 1.8m but because he didnt have the money he was sent home. This is sad. We need leaders who are not in power for thier own benefits.
will mobile hospitals be a mode of transport to RSA? And hearses for cargo transportation back to Zed? Mr Mbula, waht are you telling Zedians and the world at large? That Zambia is a district in RSA or what? Uhhhmmmm? How much much money does FTJ carry with his entire entourage? Ba Leslie!!!!!!
Hi Esther, it is not wrong to advise, but the thing is this Mbula person is in power , he must be advising his pipo to invest in local hospitals not just talking rubbish. They are forgetting that they are the pipos servants.
Ba Esther………….are you related to Mbula? one day our voices will be heard. Poor Cardson Kabwe would have been dead by now because of the mentality of Zambian Embassies. Mbula would have encouraged the govt to equip hospitals with modern machinary.
I heard from the grapevine that even the hearses, which were secretly brought into the country like a thief in the night, in fact cost far much less than what is being purported by government. All this money being embezzled can surely go a long way in uplifting the standards of health care in our health institutions.
#36, when i side the mbulo, it doenst mean am a relative of his….clear????
#32 Esther, If you are a real zambian you would know why some of the bloggers like me didnt like Mr. Mbula’s remarks. If you are born and bred in the UK may be things are fine with you but for us who are in zambia who cant even afford to go to SA for treatment we dont see sense in what Mbula said.
#33, 35, Ba Honey, Hulloand Gday, kale mwee.
Aba Ba Esther katwishi mwee..
Ba Leslie Mbula nawo, instead of helping those who have tried to help themselves he is busy talking crap in here.
Bloggers, one can plan, then you fall short of your budget.Thats why Embassies exists. To help your citizens in a foreign land. What they need to do is put up strict repayments methods of the ‘aid’ given to these shortfall patients.
#39——Aba Ba Esther katwishi mwee——suprised? you are one kind who who follows what the majority are saying! try to have your own opinions once in a while!
I heard from the grapevine that even the hearses, which were brought into the country like a thief in the night, in fact cost far less than what is being purported by government. All this money being embezzled could surely go a long way in uplifting standards of health care in our health institutions.
—
Sent on a phone using T9space.com
#41 Thenji Stevens(Mrs) Hi dear, please just ignore that Ba fimo fiom, cos they will spoil your day.
#41 Thenji Stevens(Mrs), what are you cooking for MR Stevens in that pot?
#43, am not here to spoil someone’s day, please! am simply contributing on how i feel, if you dont respect my opinions, then deal with it! thats how i feel!
#41. Thenji Stevens (Mrs). You really think they care, eh? Embassies I mean. If you thought it was just by slip of attention that Cardson Kabwe was denied financial assistance by the Zambian foreign mission in Russia to undergo life-saving heart surgery, you better think again.
Guys those who want S.A Health care connections. i know of a cheap Doctor in Hillbrow, JHB well a Sangoma, (she says its the same thing). Hit me back for more infor
Even those who seek care in Zambia itself do run out of money and get prematurely discharged to government institutions to die. ZCCM hospitals also did the same to many people. Admitted to Wusakile as a non-miner emergency and as soon as stabilised transferred to Kitwe Central squalor to perish! No change there then.
Medical care costs are not fixed because complications can occur. One surgeon can use fewer disposables than another. In SA they charge for each individual item. If you land with a bad doctor who fails to stick an I.V. canula in you first time you pay for his poor performance. Doctors are not gods to know exactly how everything will pan out.
Mbula Mr Man….go back to the village then maybe you will have some sense with what is going on out there for people that don´t even have a simple clinic while when one of you in your politricks national team is sick……..you the first one to send you officials to SA at the epence of the local population….give i a break…drink blacklabel or casstle and enjoy your tym before you kicked outta there
You guys,what Mr Mbula is saying is very correct though we dont like it. I agree the govt should assist all Zambians equally but the advise he has given is on the spot. Due to poor facilities in our country,some people are forced to come to SA for medical treatment but they dont get proper info on the cost involved. Private Heatlth facilities in SA are a pure business. I have seen were patients are turned aware because they cant afford or are not on medical aid. Yes,he needs to assist Zambians as an Ambassodor and this advise is one of them. Lets just push for our govt to build proper health facilities in Zambia………………..
work on the Zambian health system PLEASE!
No money No life. Just die RB has procured 100 manda mandas
He explained that when a patient was no longer able to pay for his or her medicals, the private doctors could even switch off or remove any life-saving equipment the patients were using hence causing loss of life. WHICH DR CAN DO THAT? DONT TELL US LIES. THE ONLY THING A DOCTOR WILL DO IS TO ENSURE THE PATIENT HAS SUFFICIENT FUNDS BEFORE ACCEPTING HIM.
Just advise your gov to improve our Hospitals we pay tax, than giving that f**lish advice to helpless people.
40 years down the line,we still lack one good national referral hospital. Mbula should use some diplomacy instead of mocking Zambians trying to asve their lives. Look at all those scandals at MOH! That money was suppose to to put to good use but when you have a selfish individual like Henry Kapoka in control,you dont expect anything. The likes of Kapoka are the ones who make sitting Presdident’s job difficult.LPM had Kapokas who had allegince to FTJ but he flushed them out.RB has a real Kapoka who is a PF cadre.He started stealing during LPM for he had allegiance to SATA,accelerated the theft when LPM was comatose,thinking when LPM finally passes on,It will be a win-win stuation for him coz Sata will be president.Fate said NO and Kapoka is in deep trouble for gambling with public…
#43,
Ba Honey , Its Mr Stevens cooking Nshima.. just shows that anyone can do it… lol
#46, Ba Monalisa,
I believe deep down in my heart that Cardson Kabwe’s case is a ‘very Isolated’ case of which someone at that Embassy is/was supposed to dance to the music..They believe they made a good decision to send Cardson back to Zambia.. and someone in MMD listened to that and ‘sat’ on the whole issue… that one too is supposed to dance to the tune. Reputable Embassies take it upon themselves to help and care for its citizens abroad..and if they were just reckless they pay later. Lets say.. if Cardson was no more what would that Embassy have done???
He has a valid point makes no sense dying in RSA when there are 100 hearses in Zed waiting to bury you.
LT, can you possibly expedite the process of uploading postings on the site? My comment at #38 only appeared 30minutes after uploading despite my broadband internet connection. I then went on and sent comment #43 which is synonymous to comment #38, though the latter is an unedited version. You will definitely do something about it, wont you?
People please why do we like to always find something wrong with what govt officials say? Mbula is simply giving advice and has in no way said people should travel to SA for treatment, he is saying it because it is happening. And another point, in as much as I would hope Govt to bail out people that are sick abroad if they are Zambian, it is not practical, when will the line be drawn, we are too reliant on Govt that we seem to not even know what their role is. Someone fails grade 12, they blame Govt. this has to stop. VJ can be sent to SA on Govt confers because he is in Govt and he is entitled. It is not only Zambia, it happens the world over. That said, Govt as their duty need to have facilities built in Zambia. Also, we have to remember healthcare is expensive and so be ready to pay.
Ba number 10 can’t we wait? Apparently King snake has not talked much on this man.
Mbula, how much do the politicians and Vernon Mwaanga come with when they come for top up? Zilch. Shut up your mouth
I saw one of the hearses packed at a pub in Chilenje. I understand the DC has made it a personal to holder!!
Eish! Cant the doctors pull out life suppoort for VJ. Then we will never have messy erections, sorry election
When is GOVT planning to have these “specialist” treatments available in ZED??? All we need is equipment, our Doctors can Do this…. Minister of Health must start planing ASAP!!!
Zambians… lets BE SERIOUS!!!!, our people are perishing from simple illnesses and all we can do is make jokes about it…THIS is a HEALTH DISASTER. Its pipo’s lives we talking???
LEE TOLL LAY
Iwe The Drip, whats that? Can you decode it for me?
Mbula amano!
he has a point in a way.but personally i think that if more money was pumped into uth things would be better.pipo wouldn’t have to waste their monies flying to sa instead they`d pay those same fees in uth.we have enough doctors specialists rather so ..kaya but thats just my opinion.how are u expected to treat patients adequately when basic things like gloves,needles are not available.panado???i mean ..pipo still die of malaria a very treatable illness,cholera??
it annoys me just thinking of it.
I’m extremely impressed with your writing talents as well as with the format for your blog. Is that this a paid subject or did you modify it your self? Either way stay up the nice quality writing, it’s rare to see a nice blog like this one nowadays..