The Ministry of Health has disclosed that as of December 2011, about 100 thousand patients in nine provinces had benefitted from the controversial mobile clinic services.
Ministry of health spokesperson Kamoto Mbewe has told QFM that out of the 100 thousand cases attended to through mobile clinic services, 10 thousand were surgical interventions.
Dr. Mbewe noted that the mobile clinics have continued to operate by targeting areas were there are no static hospitals.
Dr. Mbewe says the ministry has set up a directorate for the mobile clinic unit and that the operations of the nine mobile clinic units which are said to comprise of seven departments each has been budgeted for.
He adds that the mobile hospitals are running as second level hospitals.
Meanwhile, Dr. Kamoto says the cumulative cases of typhoid as of 16th January 2012 stood at 2,622 countrywide.
He adds that the ministry is working towards ensuring that the disease is contained and has since called for high standards of cleanliness as a preventative measure to the spread of the disease.
QFM
Good that common sense prevailed, to continue using these clinics. Despite the bad publicity they endured, there might be something salvageable and useable after-all.  Of late there seems to be no PATRIOTIC common sense left :-).Â
Ya MMD Polices bearing fruits. Thanks for sharing
All the monkeys are hiding in the trees.
100,000 patients into $53000000 means a spend of $530 per patient so far. Good value for money.
The calculation is fundamentally flawed sir; what about the annuall operating costs (fuel, oil, maintenance, security, replacement of parts, and mobile Doctors); Also what about the opportunity costs? The corruption costs and the like?
IT WAS A DAMN GOOD IDEA.
Thats wonderful.I know people in remote parts of the country have appreciated these services.Thumbs up to the MMD
Thesse statistics are fake,am health professional myself and i was part of the mobile hospitals .The pipo that come are not realy sick pipo,they jst come to have a look at the vehicles and and pretend to be sick,.to be truthfull the cost of mounting these hospital ad the allowances that have to be paid to the workers for jst a week is about k700m which can build one permanant structure.
RB was a leader who endured ridicule but stood on what he believed in. He equalised fuel price across the country which was a novel idea. He understood the suffering of the masses, that was why he went for the mobile hospitals. Farmers were paid on time during his tenure and he kept his promises. He rehabilitated FTJ and gave him a decent send off and handed over power to Sata without qualms. He even attended the independence celebrations against all odds. He tried to change the way politics are done in Zambia. When history is recorded about him, it will be kind to him because 10 years from now, all the rhetoric about his corruption will be forgotten and suddenly people will have wonderful thoughts of him. He came like dew in the morning and left, but he will be remembered fondly.
That he ran away from his own country to live in South Africa.
Yeah very patriotic of him.
RB is right in the country tata. Takaye nangu kumo. Ni mwana wa muNgoni.
wow. now what is the official position of the PF who opposed this
 But then look at the opportunity cost. Give us comparative data on health posts built withing the same period or before and the number of patients attended to, then compare the costs. Only then can we say with certainty that it was worthy the investment.
Number 7 is right. These mobile hospitals only moved once in rural areas. That was before the September 20, 2011 tripartite elections. The move was calculated to help MMD woo voters through health service provision. Since then mobile hospitals have stopped their out reach to rural areas.
If these people where atttended to, it is becoz MMD used these clinics for campains, so alot of money was chanelled for the same at the expense of other permanent structures.Our leanrt doctor should have also told us how much money was spent on fuel, allowances,mentainance etc. These vehicles will soon be grounded, considering the poor state of roads in rural areas. What happens next? The initiative PF has come up with of building over 600 health facillities in the country is the best.
Number 7 read this: “Dr. Mbewe noted that the mobile clinics have continued to operate by targeting areas were there are no static hospitals”. In case you don’t know, Dr Mbewe is the spokesperson for the (current PF) government.
Sorry, Dr Mbewe is the spokesperson for the Ministry of Health in the (current PF) government.
A hospital on wheels canot do much, we need permanent ones where fuel will be no issue . zambia is our country so we need permanent structures where people will go with confidence no matter where they live
To those supporting corrupt MMD for these mobile hosipital, you need also to remember that the poorest of the poor in Zambia live in areas with no roads. So how do this chinese made vehicles reach such areas? Dont be cheated. These vehicles can only get to areas which are along clear roads. One wonders how and why MMD could not build clinics areas which are accessible by road.
Just look at that picture, do those people appear to be very poor. They all dressed well. These vehicle can reach where poverty stricken Zambians stay.
@17 , I meant these vehicles cant reach
100,000 is a big number to play semantics with :-) It is indeed big and I can see PF cadres grappling with that magnitude. Whichever way you put it, it is quite a consternation for the scorn you poured on the veracity of the idea!Â
Mobile hospitals just like hearses are all shit. Bull shit this is the worst of money. Usless venture.
Mobile hospitals just like hearses are all shit. Bull shit this is the worst of money. Usless venture.Hhhh
Mobile hospitals just like hearses are all shit. Bull shit this is the worst of money. Usless venture.HhhhTyywhii
Mobile hospitals just like hearses are all shit. Bull shit this is the worst of money. Usless venturebull
The idea of mobile hospitals is not sustainable. How long will these mobile hospitals last? Looking at our roads, dawn you all who are supporting this rotten idea. Which poor country like zambia has such useless facility? Support an idea with your brains not with your unseen statistics.
I think the most important thing is ;they are reaching out to the poor even if it was one person treated. One life is more valuable than the amount spent on them.
As for permanent structures; sickness will not wait
This is a good system. It will of course need constant reviews periodically to establish when some health stations (if we can call them that) qualify for static clinics or mini hospitals with permanent staff. Mind you the staff will need housing and the like. Thereforer, projected costs and availability of qualified staff will dictate when a threshold is reached. The system lends itself to good logic.
Nobody said the mobile clinics per se cannot be used for treating people. The argument, is as put by the chief, sustainibility. You think 10 years down the road these mobile clinics will be there. What about the cost that is associated with mobile clnics but not associated with permanent structures such as fuel costs and substance allowances. Is this the best of using our limited resources?
well done RB
Some of the advantages of mobile systems are that as we know the units that house the medical equipment and medicine can be detached from the chassis of one truck and be bolted on to another truck, pretty much like a refrigerated truck. It means their lifespan is not dependent on the vehicle they are sitting on. The mobile clinics mean far less number of support infrastructure and skilled manpower, i.e. less duplication of equipment, of electric power requirement, of quantity of stored drugs, number of qualified staff and suitable accommodation and rural hardship allowances for staff at each static health centre. (Not to mention school needs for their children etc). The net effect is a huge cost saving. The real challenge is whether the Govt can effectively plan and stay on course..
@9,you mean doctors and nurses working in a mobile hosipital are not human beings and will not be acomodated,no children?
It takes a long time to build a hospital ,mobile clinics were good idea,
Taking hospital closer to people,Look at the lives they saved and the
Benefits ,instead of being blinded by PF propaganda, the whole country
BenefitedÂ
# 7 are you a real doc.how can you say some was pretending to be sick.do u thinks people enjoying going to clinic/hospital. you must be ashamed for denting the image of a noble professionÂ