The newly commissioned Kapiri District Hospital has successfully attended to over 2,700 clients seeking various medical services since its commissioning by President Rupiah Banda in April this year.
And Government says contrary to media assertions, the District Hospital was not prematurely opened as it had adequate staff and equipment to meet health services demands in the area.
District Medical Officer, Charles Mwinuna maintained that his hospital is a full fledged health facility as it has attended to 2,752 patients needing health attention since its opening two months ago.
The health institution currently attends to 1,350 Out Patients (OPD), handles 1,123 admissions and successfully conducted 279 deliveries in the two months of its operations.
Dr. Mwinuna said the new hospital has all necessary equipment installed and has received four new Doctors and several other critical cadres to provide quality healthcare to patients in the district.
He said the Hospital is providing promotive, preventive, curative and referral services from the 30 peripheral centers in the district.
Dr. Mwinuna was responding to a question when he and District Commissioner, Kunda Mwila were invited to make clarifications on the operations of the new District Hospital by the Pastors Fellowship of Kapiri Mposhi yestreday.
Concerns in one of the daily tabloids allege that the new hospital was rushed to be opened because it was currently not offering X-ray and theatre services.
Meanwhile, government is considering upgrading the old Kapiri District Hospital into a mini hospital to cater for the increased demand of health services in the district.
Dr. Mwinuna said the Mini Hospital once opened will help decongest the newly commissioned district hospital as it will be able to offer certain basic services being offered at the District Hospital.
District Commissioner, Kunda Mwila on the other hand has pointed out that the hospital was not prematurely opened because it is well staffed and equipped to provide other critical health services .
Mr. Mwila said complaints in some sections of the media by a local person that the new hospital was rushed to be opened are unfounded because the hospital was providing equally other critical health services such as maternity, OPD and was also conducting admissions and many others.
The District Commissioner also said the government did not impose on the citing for the new hospital because there were consultations with various stakeholders in the district and consensus was reached on the positioning of the hospital before it was constructed.
Meanwhile, the Pastors Fellowship in Kapiri Mposhi has commended government for putting up the Hospital in the district.
Pastors Fellowship District Chairman, John Mbulo said the move by government was a clear indication that it cared for its people’s health in the area.
Pastor Mbulo said his Association will ensure it works hand in hand with government to foster development in the district.
“Construction of the Hospital in the district is testimony that the government wants to improve health services provision to its people here, we will work hand-in-hand with government in this area,” Pastor Mbulo said.
The entire Hospital comprising among them maternity ward, out patient department (OPD), X-ray, theatre, administration, admission wards and service blocks and ten staff houses was constructed at the total cost of K11 Billion.
President Rupiah Banda commissioned the Hospital in April this year.
ZANIS
How many doctors are there?. Is there an orthopedic doctor, gynecologist, dentist, pediatrician etc
If not, then it is just a building
Didn’t I see this picture on another story before? It seems like nurses in Zambia have the same pose and look alike. uh.
If this is really true, how come people in Chongwe have to endure like they are doing? The Chieftainess on the other day lamented that her people have been neglected and she had to give up her palace and her late relative’s house to be used as clinic/medical facilities. Who is fooling who on these developments? How come the being mouths Shikapwasha and RB have not responded to her statements? Someone is taking Zambians for a ride. What is wrong with the state media feeding people with blatant lies?
Can someone in the medical field please write an article on how best health care can be delivered in Zambia? We have so many charlatans writting about hospitals who have not the slightest idea of what they are talking about. I remember an article that health care doesn’t come cheap some many years ago by a vice president of the Zambia Medical Association. No country has a perfect health care system. In US, Obamisation is in trouble. In UK the NHS is tinkered with by every government to the chagrin of health care providers. Cuba seems to do well. Please, let us have debate on this. How much of our GDP should we spend on health care? Can we AFFORD free service? Can we provide ALL specialties? What about pay and conditions of service?
In addition to your very important issue, the other aspect that needs similar consideration is how best do we manage public health systems. I have assumed you are talking about the clinical side of healthcare.
No.1 before you ask about those specialists why don’t you first appreciate the fact that the current government has put the tax payers money to good use.It has not ended up in Belgium to buy designer size 2 shoes and suits.We have the university teaching hospital as our main referral center where currently all cases can be attended.Certain specialists like orthopedic surgeons,Gynecologists are on demand world over and so it is difficult to keep them in Zambia because of poor salaries.How can we help ?maybe talk to our colleagues in the diaspora who are in health to commit at least a month in year to do some form of outreaches to these hospitals.what do others think?
Ba Saints ninshi mwakalipa yama? Your question or request for someone in the medical field to write about how best health care can be delivered in Zambia wont solve the problem. It is like asking a driver how best to make a car or design a car. Not every doctor or medical personnel are in Health Care Management or even know how to run the business or how best to deliver that same care they give. I can tell you, the so called Obama Care is not in trouble as Fox TV (Sean Hannity or Ann Coulter) puts it to you. No one is even talking about it on the Republican campaigns. They know how they will lose badly once they get into that business. So, let us stick to what we know best, Zambian problems.
Number of patients attended to mean nothing you fools. Its about the quality of service received that matters. I was involved in road accident 40 kilometers from Kapiri some 2 months ago and rushed to the same damn stupid hospital – all i got was panado without been examined. Iam part of that 2700 patients statistic but i got no service. dont be cheated the hospital is far from been fully operational.
if a health minister between 1991 & 2000 had constructed these hospitals this time we would have been talking of quality doctors and equipment. bravo RB am gonna give you my vote, you are really building this nation for the future.
Kalos2121
No, I am not upset. When one reads blogs about the health service in Zambia, one would think that the solutions are just as easy as ABC. I am not saying that Obama’s plans have failed, all I am saying is that there is opposition, even to the best of ideas. I don’t know whether you know that in 1947, the British Medical Association OPPOSED the formation of the UK NHS! Today, doctors are at the fore front ‘defending’ the NHS! When I say someone in the medical field, you assume I mean doctors. I just mean anyone who deals with health issues, whether Health economists, nurse, pharmacist etc. We need to answer certain questions about health care delivery in Zambia and carve out our own plan that works.
@8 Sata
We were still owing $7 billions at the time. Zambian economy was in Intensive care and no one would have performed miracles. I wouldn’t vote for Sata, but it is wrong to blame him for something that he had no control over. KK had $3 billions at independence to play with and what most people do not realise is that the 1st national development plan was mooted BEFORE independence when Kaunda was Prime Minister and his majority in Parliament was a coalition with Nkhumbula’s ANC with whites in the minority. We were bankrupt in 1991.
@5 Red Square
Apparently, I know doctors in the diaspora who have offered exactly what you suggest. They have been turned down by some people at the Ministry of Health and UTH. There is a general feeling that 1. Who do they think they are, we are just as good? 2. They are not patriotic. 3. We don’t need them, we can DIY (do or destroy it (y)ourself).
Funny thing is that, in the meantime, GRZ spends a lot of money sending patients abroad to be cared for by the same Zambian doctors and nurses, and bring in ‘muzungu’ doctors from overseas for short stints.
Am I the only one to notice that we keep getting the same picture for every hospital constructed outside Lusaka? C’mmon Lsk Times, get us the real pictures
The newly commissioned Kapiri District Hospital has successfully attended to over 2,700 clients seeking various medical services since its commissioning by President Rupiah Banda in April this year.
Please lusaka time Journos its Patients not clients.A business has cleints and Hospital has Patients you Grade 7
#13agony is when yu want to correct a friend but end up making similar mistake.Its not cleint but client
“MOBILE hospitals will only move for 13 days each month, Parliament heard on Wednesday.
And health minister Kapembwa Simbao says the budget estimates for the given period is that each province will require about K2.4 billion for the successful use of the procured mobile hospital units.”
So bane, for the rest of the month, 17 days, please do not get sick, if you do, you are on your own. The Ministry of Health has nothing to do with you. They will visit your grave.