The Chinese government has committed $90 million towards expansion works at Lusaka’s Levy Mwanawasa General Hospital.
The Chinese grant will facilitate the expansion of the hospital bed space from 120 to 1 000 beds.
The Hospital will also be equipped with high-tech equipment to enable it offer specialized treatment.
And Government has reiterated its promise to provide equitable cost effective quality healthcare as closer to the people as possible.
Speaking when he met a visiting Chinese delegation which is in the country to undertake a design survey for the expansion of Levy Mwanawasa General Hospital phase two in Lusaka today, Health Minister Joseph Kasonde says the design phase of the hospital entails turning the hospital into a fully fledged specialized health facility with a bed capacity of between 800 to 1000 beds.
Dr. Kasonde says Zambia remains indebted to China for phase one of Levy Mwanawasa General Hospital with a bed capacity of 120 which was constructed with a grant in excess of USD $8 million from the Chinese government.
He adds that it is more gratifying that the Levy Mwanawasa General Hospital project does not only involve the infrastructural works but also includes the provision of modern high-tech medical equipment for the hospital.
Dr. Kasonde says before the hospital was constructed, one of the major challenges in the delivery of health care services in Lusaka was the inadequacy of primary health and secondary health facilities which resulted in massive congestion at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH).
He further states that government is pleased with the support from the Chinese government as it is aware that the provision of quality healthcare services to the people will ensure that the country has a healthy and productive population which will in turn lead to a productive economy.
USD$90M! WHY NOT JUST BUILD ANOTHER HOSPITAL IN A DIFFERENT LOCATION WHERE RESIDENTS ARE FAR FROM UTH AND LEVY HOSPITAL ITSELF? RUNNING IT WHEN IT BECOMES LARGE WILL BE VERY CHALLENGING FOR ZAMBIAN MANAGERS.
Very true government can’t run anything big. Privatise the hospital?
Iwe Peter grant money can’t be spent the way you feel. It has to follow grant conditions
This is what I wrote yesterday:
“What “move” did Edgar make? What did Edgar do, did he send all those deported back to China?
Sick people run to countries they think they will get better treatment, ask Edgar himself. If Edgar turn that Mwanawasa hospital into an HIV-Sondashi formula best treatment center, then even Chinese will go to Zambia to receive treatment.”
Today the Chinese agree with me
The president did not have to travel after all. The deals are being made here. Hehehehehe
in absentia
Dr Levy P Mwanawasa, that visionary great son of the soil, initiated this project in order to deliver quality health care to the Zambian pipo. Rupiah used it for politiking far from the vision. IF ONLY WE COULD HAVE ANOTHER MWANAWASA, Zambia would be a wonderful country.
Another Mwanawasa will be HH or somebody else but not the crooks in PF.
To claim that the president ought not have gone to China is an understatement. Would all these have been acquired at the comfort of his seat in Lusaka, generally speaking.
BA WISHI JUST LEAVE THOSE VILLAGE BUMPKINS. YOU WOULD BE SURPRISED THE CHAP SAYING EL SHOULDN’T HAVE GONE TO CHINA IS EVEN HIGHLY EDUCATED. THE WASTED TRIPS WERE RB’s. THIS CHINA TRIP IS A MATTER ECONOMIC INTEREST TO ZAMBIA. SO, EL IS SPOT ON.
To claim that the president ought not have travelled to China is an understatement. Would all these have been acquired at the comfort of his seat in Lusaka, generally speaking.
Could someone please explain the use of the word “GRANT” in this context. Does this mean this is money we will not have to REPAY? Either way this is very generous of our Chinese friends and as a Zambian I would like to say TWATASHA. THANKYOU SO SO MUCH.
Could someone please explain the use of the word “GRANT” in this context. Does this mean this is money we will not have to REPAY? Either way this is very generous of our Chinese friends and as a Zambian I would like to say Xie’xie’. THANKYOU SO SO MUCH.
@Loadist
A grant is money given for free in exchange for certain concessions.
There are terms agreed between two parties before a grant can be given so that both parties benefit.
For example, an organisation can give you a grant in form of a bursary to pursue to your PHD, on the understanding that, what ever you will come up with in your research they will be entitled to use it for commercial purposes without being liable to pay you a fee or some copy right infringement. They will not need your permission to use your material for any commercial venture.
I hope I have explained it clearly. Any questions just ask ?
@wanzelu. Thank you for the tutorial now all I need is a little more clarification on how the word is used in the context here presented. What are the conditions that they chinese have set? $90 million is a lot of money. Just wondering either way I won’t question them our country’s healthcare system needs life line right now all I can say is THANKYOU.
the japanese goverment is busy upgrading other district hospitals in lusaka….via japanese embassy website
plus
“The expansion of Levy General Hospital into a specialist hospital and the construction of a new hospital in Lusaka west, which is underway, will cushion the pressure which is exerted on University Teaching Hospital,” Dr Kasonde said. via daily mall …..
so i hope now our politicians don’t have to run to johannesburg milpark for treatment ……..GRZ must now upgrade the major hostipals in the rest of the country seeing that china and japan are sorting out lusaka
Awe mwandi thank Japan.
this is one news item which is filling me with so much fear, anxiety and trepidation. i hope it does not come to pass. already, this is a hospital which at it’s present capacity is turning out to be a white elephant. there is a complete discrepancy between its potential operational capacity and the actual managerial capacity. who is benefitting from this project? for certain its not the poor would be user,,,but this same poor would be user will be the most excited about this development. its wrong and really devious and fiendish to prey on peoples ignorance and gullibility but i suppose in africa it’s a dog eat dog scenario. over here in the canada, any respectable ceo would be gripped with severe anxiety at the prospect of managing a 1000 bed ‘ultra- modern’ hospital. mind you, we…
talking about a foremost, rich first world country here. Zambians please have mercy on your own people i beg, because if you don’t which outsider do you think is going to do it?
it is okay to improve Levy hospital. at least it is near than KK airport. so no need to waste too much tax payers money for the cabinet ministers to all flock to see the president. maybe the president and his ever trekking airport cabinet ministers will stop going to Mill Park.
To quote the Minister of Health: “The expansion of Levy General Hospital into a specialist hospital and the construction of a new hospital in Lusaka west, which is underway, will cushion the pressure which is exerted on University Teaching Hospital.”
Lusaka is even getting another hospital in Lusaka west which will be the third one in one city!Are there any plans to expand hospitals like Kitwe Central Hospital in the second largest city in the country, serving a very large population? Is every conceivable development only going to be located in Lusaka?
Why did these nationalists like KK, Nyerere, Mugabe, et al expel the British colonialists only to invite the Chinese? What was the point? Where is the much-talked about independence when all African leaders do is go out and beg?