Luampa Mission Hospital in the newly created Luampa District has been losing lives because of the erractic power supply.
Luampa Mission Hospital executive director Sanki Chihinga told journalists in Luampa District on Wednesday that the Hospital had been losing lives of adults and premature babies because they are unable to use Oxygen machines and incubators, among other electrical medical equipment.
“In the night, when we need to perform emergency operations we can’t do anything with no power.In such a case patients need to be transported to another hospital .That alone is a problem because if the patient does not reach in good time it means you lose that life just because you didn’t have power that day. It’s very challenging,’ Mr.Chihinga lamented.
He said many lives are lost because patients can not be put on Oxygen.
“Some babies are born prematurely and they need to be placed in an incubator that provides warmth to imitate the warmth in the womb.With no power they can’t have it and you lose such babies,” he said.
Mr Chihinga said it was traumatising and de-motivating to the medical personnel to lose lives which they could have saved had the Hospital
had sufficient power to run various medical equipment.Mr Chihinga also lamented that a huge chunk of the Hospital’s monthly budget from Government grants was being spent on buying fuel as it spent KR20, 000 (K20 million) a month on diesel to pump power for eight hours instead of 24 hours. Power supply is available from 08:00 hours to 12:00 hours before it is cut off then re-connected from 18:00 hours to 22:00 hours.
He said the Hospital had been using thermal power since inception in 1963 and that the length of power availability was dependent on the
funds to buy fuel as the pump used 10 litres of diesel per hour translating into 80 litres for eight hours. 24 hours power supply
would need 240 litres of diesel.The Hospital used about 1,600 litres of car fuel for its emergency,referral and outreach programmes, among other community based activities monthly and that it derived money for fuel only from Government grants because it was no longer receiving funding for that purpose from the Mission.
[pullquote]Mr Chihinga said it was traumatising and de-motivating to the medical personnel to lose lives which they could have saved had the Hospital
had sufficient power to run various medical equipment[/pullquote]
The Hospital receives monthly Government grants of KR26, 000 (K26 million), which was increased from KR11, 000 (K11 million) last year,
but that it had not received the February and March, 2013 funds.
The increased grant funding is, however, not enough to meet the Hospital’s monthly budget of KR55, 000 (K55 million) hence Mr.Chihinga’s appeal to Government to consider increasing the allocation.
“If the Government can come in to provide some fuel to meet our demands during this time that the power is being brought to Luampa.They
say Luampa is being connected to the national grid, we know it will take a few months before we are finally connected. So if the
Government can find means to cushion this that will be a good thing to improve service delivery to Luampa,” he said.
Besides power challenges, Luampa Mission Hospital faces water problems as it only had water for four hours because of the same power problem
thus storing excess water in drums to be used when need arose.
Luampa Mission Hospital is therefore forced to refer cases to Lewanika General Hospital in Mongu, which is 180 kilometers from the Luampa
District.However referrals were dependent on how long the patient would be able to remain alive.
On the staffing levels, Mr Chihinga said the Hospital currently had 35 professionals and 35 general workers, but that the number of
professionals was inadequate because it required 48 nurses instead of the current 21 as well as three medical doctors unlike now when it
only had one.
Luampa Mission Hospital caters for a population of about 52, 000 people according to the 2010 Census statistics.
He was optimistic that connecting the hospital to the electricity national grid would greatly address the challenges the Hospital has been facing.
What a sad state if affairs. PF do something to solve this problem. Luampa district can not be having such problems like it is located in a war zone. This unacceptable and things need to change.
The local MP must push government to connect Luampa to the national grid. In the meantime, government must explore the option of solar power as well.
Go to hell. Why don’t you appeal to chief mutondo or chief litunga.
Sometimes these hospital administrators are to blame. how do you see people dying and u just sit. You need to apply alot of pressure on the relevant authority to make sure power is restored. How about gen sets please. You mean the entire hospital can fail to buy a Gen set if you had budgeted for it. The problem is u dont c the need for such and so u dont include them in your annual budgets. Ba MP where are you. Sleeping I suppose?? That is why coming to stand as an MP on PF ticket come 2016
In the meantime break more ground for stadiums
Sad
@ Kola Foundation
Why appeal to a traditional leader when it is governments responsibility to provide health facilities to their citizens? Politcians form government based on promises so they are the ones who are supposed to deliver on what the promised.
Insults like yours are just a sign of weakness.
In the meantime there is always money for by-elections.However this is a great opportunity to use solar energy.Zambia is blessed with a lot of sunshine.Must we wait for white man to show us how to tap into solar energy?
My question is, why are they blowing trumpets about stadiums? Let the football clubs build their own stadium or find investors in Zambia. Let government set priorities, build hospitals and schools. The biggest hospital was built by the Muzungus when the population was small. These Zambian politicians what have they done that has lasted? Can we get an expatriate from the West or Japan to come and put this country in order? Shame on all our former and current politicians for not making a difference.
Most elected MPs who represent rural areas are a let down. Most of these MP are not aware of problems found in area they present because they have not done due dilligence. Shame upon these MPs. Also voters are to be blamed because they vote for the candidates who belong to their political affliation instead of voting for candidates who can do the job regardless of their political association. Yesterday it was guards & cleaners acting as doctors and nurses. Tomorrow is PF cadres fighting MMD cadres, Zesco shadding off some loads, lawyers defending corrupt people, some politicians defending corrupt people etc. No wonder people are dying at that mission hospital, corruption has chewed all the money to buy solar panels, employ more nurses and doctors etc.
MPs don’t build hospitals or schools. It is the Executive that allocates money and sets priorities. Why don’t you go to Hansard archives and uptodate yourself on the contributions of successive MPs from Luampa?