Friday, March 29, 2024

Dr Kaseba returns from SA, as Sata dodges questions on who settled the bills

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PATRIOTIC Front (PF) president Michael Sata’s wife, Christine Kaseba, says she is feeling much better and is happy to be back in Zambia after treatment in South Africa for a heart problem.

Dr Kaseba, who returned on the night of December 31, was admitted to South Africa’s Morningside Clinic for about a week at Government expense.

She returned in the company of her husband.

“I am very happy to be back home, especially that it is the New Year’s eve. I am feeling much better,” she said.

Mr Sata dodged questions on who settled Dr Kaseba’s bills, referring all queries to hospital authorities in South Africa.

“Why do you want to know who paid the hospital bills? Go to the hospital and ask them. In fact, I was expecting (Vice-President) George Kunda to be here,” he said.

Chief Government spokesperson Ronnie Shikapwasha said on January 1, however, that Government will pay Dr Kaseba’s hospital bills.

Lieutenant-General Shikapwasha, who is Information and Broadcasting Services Minister, said in an interview that Government was responsible for her evacuation.

He said every Zambian is entitled to evacuation for specialist treatment whenever need arises.

He said Government is happy that Dr Kaseba is well and back home after successful treatment.

“Government is going ahead to pay the hospital bills. We will be talking to the High Commissioner in South Africa to make arrangements with the hospital.

Government evacuated her for her treatment. Once a person is evacuated, we also pay for the entire delegation accompanying them. She is entitled just like any Zambian,” Gen Shikapwasha said.

58 COMMENTS

  1. Welcome back home Kaseba & good on u GRZ for paying the bills. Every Zambian should also be entitled to free GRZ funded treatment in an Zambian private hospital if they’re referred there by GRZ.

  2. This Morningside clinic is just for politicians and their families. There are a lot of Zambians who need specialist treatment but i have never heard of an ordinary Zambian being evecuated to RSA. Who chooses the people to be evacuated, please educate me.

  3. Who settled the bill is not important.What is important is that she has returned home in a more healthy condition than when she left.She is an asset to the nation.She has helped shape the medical profession in Zambia and no one can take that away from her.

  4. No 2 Fimofimo- You make a very good point! Why don’t you write to your MP and find out! It is your duty and right to know where your tax is being spent. No point in asking us here who are wondering like you why our relatives are not being sent to RSA. I lost a sister’s friend to pneumonia which was unidentified until the last day of her 7 day ordeal at UTH (thanks to Gen Shikapwasha for not sending her!)

  5. Its good that you are back home and feeling better, but the questions on health facilities in Zambia are a monstrosity
    While politicians enjoy evacuations to other countries for treatment, nothing is done to improve health care facilities at home. How many ordinary Zambia die of heart attacks per year? After 46years of independence, we must be capable of handling a lot of medical cases locally. Politicians don’t want to use local health facilities because they know they are in shambles

    It is sad that the ordinary tax payers who foot the bills of these politicians have a near-to-zero chance of being evacuated compared to politicians

  6. Why not estimate the amount of money GRZ spend on such to morningside clinic and use the same money in equiping one of the local hospitals.

  7. We thank God for the good health he has gaven back to Dr. Kaseba. And Lieutenant-General Shikapwasha, it is not important for us to know who paid for the bills. What your right hand has done should not be known by your left hand. If the goverment had contributed to her bills we don’t need to climb up on the roof to make people what our goverment is doing.

  8. This madam despite her husband’s politics seems to be a very humble person! At least she will soon return to work to attend to her patients.

  9. It is good Dr Kaseba is well.She deserves the best treatment being a senior doctor at UTH.However, can Shikapwasha please clarify on who is entitled to be evacuated.Maybe our relatives can also join the queue and get some world class treatment at Morningside.While we are at it can the MMD government please tabulate how much they have spent evacuating people since 1991.We are just curious as to whether it would have been cheaper to build our own morningside clinic right in Kalingalinga.

  10. #8, I thought that you guys want information to satisfy your curiosity? Is it painful to you that the (MMD) government footed the whole bill? I can imagine what you would say if GBM was the funding agency?
    The rest of the progressive Zambian population are happy that our beloved doctor is back in good health and that the government did not fail to do its duty in a timely manner. Dr Kaseba is not only a government employee but a national asset who has saved many lives. Hats off to you Shikapwasha and your government for your selflessness.

  11. Mr Sata: “….In fact, I was expecting (Vice-President) George Kunda to be here,” he said.
    Mr Sata, the Veep is in Serenje to enjoy New Year with his family and constituents. Why should he have been there anyway? I am sure someone from government will pay a courtesy call at your house shortly, but keep the cadres away please, let the good doctor enjoy her healthy return in dignity.

  12. MB #4,
    Thanks for your advice, i guess thats the best way to get the truth, but i doubt our MPs even know why we elect them. They become kings after being elected, so if i had to write to my MP im almost certain he/she would never respond. All they know is insults, lies and worshiping the president. Well i just feel sorry for my fellow Zambians who have never experienced a different kind of life where Governments are held accountable by ordinary citizens and politicians are elected to serve and not to become rich in 2 years..God help Zambia.

  13. Responsible GRZ, even if satana is failing to acknowledge. We expect this kind of behaviour from him. Remember what he said to LPM when he evacuated him.

  14. Great GRZ is footing the bill, but then I dont they had much of a choice about it. She is one of Zambia’s leading medical doctors anyway and is working at the UTH. To lose her would be a national loss. If they did not cover her costs we would have all been up in arms about the ‘less worthy mortals’ especially politicians that have been sent to Morningside. The fact that she is Sata’s wife is actually secondary in the case, but does give the MMD govt an opportunity for PR and propaganda. Let them tell us which other private citizens then have evacualted for medical treatment and what the criteria is

  15. #11, at UTH there is what is called the Adhoc Committee of doctors which assesses and recommends citizens to go for specialist treatment abroad. A good number of ordinary citizens have enjoyed this facility. Find out more from the Ministry of Health or UTH.
    On the other hand, I am sorry to say that our world is not perfect which is why you saw a few years ago Mr Sata received preferential treatment for his heart condition over you and me. You know his story by now.

  16. #4 MB, You have given a very good advice to #14 but remember the system back home does not work in the normal way. Yes here in the UK it is normal for anyone to write to their MP on anything in the constituency and the MP will be more than happy to act and provide answers. In Zambia MP’s and ministers cannot be held to account because they live in a world of their own and their priorities are to get-rich-quick and throw their weights around.

  17. No need to dodge a straight forward question and to be embarassed of mentioning the state as the sponsor. Politics aside , it’s the duty of the state to provide medical services to all the citizens where possible. Ba Sata may have difficulties in extending this to his political opponents, from what i read of him.

  18. It’s so interesting that Satan instead of appreciating the government for paying his wife’s bill. It’s always surprise me with these kaponyas. If the government sends a government official to SA everyone complains about wasting taxpayers money but when they send Satan’s wife no one says nothing. Policitian are not to be trusted. If you trust em you are just wasting your time. They are all same .

  19. “She is an asset to the nation.She has helped shape the medical profession in Zambia and no one can take that away from her.” So the rest of the citizenry who work hard in their various fields,vote,pay their taxes,are not assets to the country?She has helped shape the medical profession but she can’t use them to treat her?#3 yout argument doesn’t fly.

  20. why is she not called DR sata,tabafwaya ishina lya balume pantu baliba rough,actually the doctor looks like one shebeen queen i used to know

  21. #23 Jackal
    I am surprised with your last two sentences.. Tell us the truth. You may know better than us living abroad. Is she not Mrs Micheal Sata??? Why using gvt fund not her own health insurance?? What about Sata’s monies confiscated at J.BURG airport can’t that be used to settle the bill(s)??

  22. If the government paid the bills then we see Sata being deflated again. before 2011 election sata will have another heart attack and he will change and support rupiah leaving HH hanging. Sata is a cobra and cameleon at same time

  23. The govt is right to pay for Dr Kaseba’s medical bills and not her family. Dr Kaseba is a doctor at UTH and has saved many peoples lives. Her medical condition needed the expertise of Doctors in SA. So people have to learn to be grateful to God, all medical staff that attended to her and lastly the govt for paying for her bill. Why is Katele Kalumba still in UTH when he needs specialist treatment abroad?

  24. Katele is in UTH bcose RB would rather keep him there and pray for the worst than Katele challenges him at the convention

  25. # 22-I said she is an asset coz not only has Dr kaseba helped shape the medical proffesion through treating patients as a medical doctor but she is also a distinguished lecturer.I`m sure some of the doctors treating her in south africa were her former students and former UTH collegues.Your reasoning on why she doesn`t use the same facilities at UTH doesn`t fly either.The bembas say “umunwe umo tausala inda” which when translated means, it takes a concerted effort to make a meaningfull change.Hence as an individual she may have good plans for the betterment of the health system ,but aslong there is no willingness on the part of the government and other stakeholders to tug along, nothing tangible can be achieved.We need to sing the same song if Zambia is to progress.

  26. Who paid your bills sir? ‘go and ask the hospital’ and some people think this is presidential calibre.

    What happened to GBMs offer that he made last year. Didnt he say he would take over all medical costs of his boss?

  27. amudala we missed u thank God your wife is fine. Are you now going to sue the VP George Kunda, since you gave him seven days to appologise?

  28. A mudala a Sata, you must show appreciation, the good goverment of RB has paid your wife’s Hospital bills wife. Milpark Hospital is a very expensive hosiptal. I Onetime once went there a few years ago for a check up. I was never addmited, and the bill was R1300.00. .So what more for Dr Kaseba wu was admitted. It is high time you said thank you to the mmd goverment.

  29. Morningside clinic is a big fraud in Zambian history. Overbilling and sharing of the loot by ministry of health officials is common. Poor Bulaya, Miti all lost their livelihood. The money spent on evacuation, accommodation and treatment runs into over 200 billion Kwacha a year. Will that not be worthwhile spending on equipment, salary and medicines in UTH and provinicial hospitals to provide better health services and save 100 times more lives than a few connected and lucky ones.
    Sata, HH, Miyanda, Milupi, Chipomo you have to promise no evacuation from government money and all health money will be channeled to our hospitals in Zed for you to get our votes Enough of giving us crumbs while our servants get the bread with beef stew.

  30. pipo stop cheating yourselves! dr kaseba is just another doc and we appreciate her for that otherwise there’re so many other docs at uth who are like her and even better.her speciality(obs/gyn) isn’t among those we’re lacking in zambia bcoz so many docs in zambia are being and have been trained in that field.just go to uth and see how many docs are in obs/gyn dept as specialist or being trained.stop inflating her status here.we are happy she’s back in better health and we wish her good health but to start adding other things like ‘she has shaped the medical profession, she has trained the doctors at morningside clinic in rsa bla bla bla’ is just simple display of ones ignorance.for once zambians, get real!

  31. #35 PREACH!!! u are spot on. people blogging here are in the habit of exaggerating. Dr Kaseba is just a human being, no one is irreplaceable in her profession.

  32. failing to answer a simple question just shows you the arrogance and lack of transparency. Is this the type we want to rule the nation? Does it not come closer to ….stupid *****………days? I guess saying thanks to GRZ twice makes the man uncomfortable. He had wanted GRZ to make “cheap politics” out of it. Every zambian is entitled to be evacuated once the responsible committe recommends so. Therefore there is nothing strange with the gesture. The only painful thing is when the man speaks so negatively about evacuation yet he knows that it is unavoidable for now. He is full of rhetoric and i hope people can see that. As for me am glad that Dr Kaseba Sata is back and fine. I wish her many more years of good health. Thanks mama and God bless you.

  33. #38, I’m sure whoever #36 is, he/she is laughing at u. we’re different despite the flags.actually am not even in aus and my flag changes to 3 different ones. welcome to internet bro!

  34. @24, asking on why she is not called Dr. Sata, if you get your qualifications before marriage you will retain your surname, there also others who use their surname even afterwards since they are professionals and it is not easy just to get up in the morning with a new name!!! others still separate their names i.e. hubbys and their last name with a –
    so thats how it works

  35. Sata never say thank you.. Just remember when Levy’s gvt helped him, after few years he started saying bad things against gvt.. Vote wisely. Plot 1 is not for snakes = people without a clean record can’t manage to govern.

  36. God’s people will appreciate even those who just visit their patient in hospital, ukupempula as they say. Now for this one everything is politics, greed and envy. He looks at this assistance as a minus on his political clout, no regard for his wife. And the Lord has lessons for his people even those who don’t appreciate. Can you imagine the significance of this, yesterday it was husband but ba ponta that it was PR by Levy. Today it is wife and he shows arrogance right upon alighting from the plane. How can God give you more when you don’t appreciate the small things that He doea for you? No wonder……..

  37. yo government is full of *****s,why pay for someone who is rich?there are alot of villagers dying cos they cant access proper medical care,and why cant the government equip the hospitals so they avoid sending people abroad,thats why i came t scotland and married an agly old fat white man in order to stay here

  38. A branch of Morning side clinic should be opened in Zambia with similar facilities, atleast that way we shall save on air transport and the Zambian doctors operating that facility in South Africa will come back to Zambia.

  39. Mushota for once I agree with you. Our government doesn’t care about ordinary poor pipo who even vote for them. If I was in Zambia I could campign to pipo not to waste time & vote coz nothing change. You vote for someone they will just care for their family but they just lie in campign that they are fighting for the poor that is bullshit!

  40. Some people can make me laugh, Why should people ask Sata who paid the bill? Any sensible person will know that it was govt engineered question so that Sata looks as if he was not appreciating Dr Kaseba help from her govt as a citizen of Zambia. More importantly she is the servant of many and she deserve this help. It is sad and silly for Times and daily reporters to ask such stupid question. Their uncilivised reporting is a sad chapter in the media circles. I rest my contribution.

  41. “He said every Zambian is entitled to evacuation for specialist treatment whenever need arises”

    why would the government bother to do such a thing for every zambian, when they can’t supply basic health services for every zambia. what a load of cod wollip !

  42. Cut the crap about who has contributed to the medical proffession in zambia. We all know that there is nothing spectacular about our mediacl system. Yes she is a doctor and we need more of them. All i can say for now is .. welcome home mom great to see you in good health.

  43. This gesture from the corrupt Govt., will come to haunt Zambians. They will (MMD) use it as a campaign tool. Here Shilapwasha saying each Zambian aentilttled to evacuation? How many people at UTH havent even a slightest chance to be evacuated? The MMD chooses the patients where maximum Political Capital will be obtained not the common man.

  44. hehehe, lyf yapa zed!!!!! who paid the bill? ask the hospital management. its like someone asking you that who pays for your school fees in front of your sponsor and u just say ask the school management. thats why sata cant win!!!

  45. Keep it up RB. This a clear demo that you are a true statesman. You could have easily delayed her trip to RSA if you were like Sata. Imagine if you were sick or Chiluba and Sata was at the Helm?

    Sembe ti kamba vinangu manje. Vote RB come 2011

  46. Gen Shikapwasha has the reasoning of a third grader…sending someone to South Africa and paying for their stay as well as their entourage is not a right enjoyed by all Zambians. South Africans (and other wealthier countries) bend over backwards for only one thing money and lots of it…I doubt Morningside will treat anyone without medical insurance which can be as much as R3500 a month and even then there are limitations on what one is entitled to.
    The Zambian High Commission in Pretoria can’t even process our passports even when we pay the crazy fees they ask for but they will settle the bill for a politician’s wife and family? 
    The general should just be honest and transparent about his blat elitism vs patronizing people by claiming that govt will pay for everyone’s evacuation..

  47. You really make it seem really easy together with your presentation but I find this matter to be actually one thing which I believe I might never understand. It kind of feels too complicated and very broad for me. I am looking forward in your subsequent put up, I’ll attempt to get the cling of it!

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