The delay to recognise the Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) legal enforcement has been cited as one of the factors that has led to the slow pace to enforce the Public Health Act Cap. 295 in the country.
CLTS Public Health Prosecutor, Michael Musenga made the observation during on-going five day legal enforcers’ workshop in Kalomo.
Mr Musenga who is also CLTS Legal Advisor lamented that some of the preventable diseases have continued to ravage our communities though 80 per cent of them were environmental related and could be easily avoided.
And Southern Province Sanitation and Hygiene Advisor for the provisional team under the Ministry of Local Government and Housing, Anne Mutunda accused the environmental health department of not doing much as expected.
Ms Mutunda who exclaimed when she learnt that most of the environmental health technicians (EHTs) did not have copies of most of the Acts related to the public health Act wondered how the officers who are the backbone of a ‘friendly environment’ would enforce these laws without having those necessary pieces of legislation.
“I am surprised, it’s like a pastor working without a Bible, how can he preach, if you don’t have these Acts. Our Environmental health department in the country has gone to slumber, its time now to get up because we are getting a salary without working for it,” Ms Mutunda said adding that that was the objective of the workshop.
And officiating at the workshop, Kalomo District Commissioner, Omar Munsanje reminded participants which included traditional leaders, business entities, the media, law enforcement wings that the laws had been in existence and that the onus was on the stakeholders to make
combined efforts to enforce them.
Mr Munsanje also pointed out that sanitation plays an important role in the welfare of society and urged law enforcers to seriously look into how best to apply the provisions of the public health Act Cap.295 and food and drugs Act Cap 303 and the liquor licensing Act no. 20 of 2011 to address public nuisance.
Chief Chikanta and Sipatunyana of Kalomo have welcomed the awakening call on law enforcers and called for collaboration between the local civic authorities, health, police and the judiciary if sanity was to return to communities.
The workshop is sponsored by UNICEF.
And Government has been called upon to improve funding and transport to the local authorities if councils are to deliver services to the public adequately.
Mwense District Council Chairman Willie Mumba made the request when the Deputy Minister of Local Government and Housing in charge of administration Forrie Tembo visited the area.
Mr Mumba said the three percent of the national budget allocated to the Ministry of Local Government is too little to enable it deliver services to the general public.
He further said the district has no reliable transport apart from one utility vehicle which is also in poor condition.
[pullquote]He said both Councillors and Members Parliament (MPs) are elected by the same people and wondered why MPs get salaries and other benefits like gratuity while Councillors are neglected.[/pullquote]
Meanwhile, Mwense Council Chairman has asked the Ministry of Local Government to start paying Councillors salaries so as to improve their living standrads.
Mr Mumba said Councillors are the engines of national development as they are close to the people who voted them into office hence the call to improve their conditions of service.
He added that the civic leaders have great role to play in the implementation of the decentralization policy saying there is need to motivate them.
He said both Councillors and Members Parliament (MPs) are elected by the same people and wondered why MPs get salaries and other benefits like gratuity while Councillors are neglected.
ZANIS
First and foremost don’t blame the EHT. blame the system that lacks health staff and has forced the EHT to fill a gap in the health delivery system that’s meant for the clinical officer or nurse.
i was once in that very predicament until i left to join the local authority.
in addition, we have been let down by the toothless association of environmental health officers and health professional association of zambia whose only interest is to collect my annual subscription and not lobby for improvements to the profession.
You ryt mudala. our environmental dept is neglected. the system is so porous such that nurses can even instruct you to stat givin injections. most of us are divertin and we’l’ forget we ever worked as EHTs.
Michael Sata is to blame too for having allowed street vending in zambian urban centers in order to attract votes.Yes, the problem was there beofre but Sata’s directive made it much more worse.
I am very happy that my profession is finally receiving media coverage. This is good for us as we take our rightful place. Now, let the MoH and ZIEH put the system in place to creat a conducive environment for EHP to do wat they do best. Remove them from these screemrooms,dispensers,laborroom etc. The EHP in the screening room is like fish on land. For kalomo with this legal enforcement training, you ll hear good reports.
Zambians would rather live with filth, they are used to it, FJT, RB…
Satan to blame because of cheap politics,the country will forever be dirty under this visionless ,headless,corrupt government of Satanic tribalists.
EHTs or EHOs work as clinical officers and nurses in most districts so how do u blame them for the problem? We need to correct the system before lumping the blame on others. I have seen this bad tendency of blaming others unnecessarily grow in local govt where even the Minister has no confidence in councils without her realising that these councils have been poorly funded for a long time and thus cannot deliver proper services. Change your attitude people in local govt.
To buy the full set of the law costs over K14 million, is it fair to blame the health professional on the front-line for not having one? And there is no budget for that.Then how does one practice public health when there is not even a single testing kit bought by government. All we do is beg from UNICEF. Those of us who are advisors must advocate for basic kits to use bane. Don’t just travel the country and attend workshops. And let us ban the association, it seems they are ony active where there is tarmac.
I think there is need to have a specific secretariat for Evironmental Health Practitioners And let them govern themselves and adequate resources be allocated to them to practice and all this nonsense will come to an end. We are more than ready to bring remarkable change but so many hindrances. No policy, No proper represantation at National levels, Decisions are are made by different cadres who are bias to their own displines. Councils in Zambia have environmental Health officers but how many tasks are given to these fews individuals in theiroprating areas.