Thursday, March 28, 2024

We want to turn Zambia into a regional health tourism hub-President Lungu

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Mrs Esther Lungu speaking at the awards gala
Mrs Esther Lungu speaking at the awards gala

President Edgar Lungu says his administration is focused on transforming the Zambia into a regional health tourism hub.

President Lungu said the PF government will at the beginning of 2016 be deploying doctors for super-specialisation in fields of cardiology, nephrology and haematology.

He said Government is investing substantially towards bringing emergency services to international standards by purchasing advanced and basic life support ambulances and capacity building of personnel.

President Lungu said other strategies Government has embarked on include the establishment of medical stores hubs in strategic locations to improve the distribution of medical and surgical supplies to the last mile.

He said Government has also established dialysis units at Livingstone, Kitwe and Ndola central hospitals besides the unit at UTH.

President Lungu was speaking on Saturday when he officiated at the first ever annual ball and awards gala dinner for the Zambia Medical Association.

At the same event, First Lady Esther Lungu was awarded by the Association for her community work.

President Lungu hoped the Zambia Medical Association will support government’s strategies aimed at ensuring that the specialists it trains retain to the country and serve the Zambian people.

President Lungu, Mrs Lungu and Dr Aaron Mujajati
President Lungu, Mrs Lungu and Dr Aaron Mujajati
President Lungu speaking at the ZMA awards gala
President Lungu speaking at the ZMA awards gala
President Lungu, Dr Joseph Kasonde and Dr Mujajati
President Lungu, Dr Joseph Kasonde and Dr Mujajati

52 COMMENTS

    • These are stories you hear Ku bar when someone is drank! Medical field is so advanced today,that’s why its expensive,,,, they no longer operate with kitchen knifes like Ku UTH……,,someone thinks before mouthing rubbish,you still dont have power in Zambia,, how is this possible???

    • Soon the PF government will be sending a satellite to space so that Zambia can have a fast communication network and carry out advanced research in weather patterns at UNZA and CBU.

      President Lungu said this at a gala hosted by the Zambia Space Agency, a government department which has been involved in a cutting edge space technology. This was after president Lungu has taken a few glasses of whisky

    • It is clear every one missed his English, medical tourism hub meant patients flocking to Zambia for specialist treatment like South Africa. Nothing to do with tourism, He was too academic to some of you guys.

  1. THE GOOD PART WITH OUR LEADERS IS THAT THEY ARE NOT CONSISTENT WITH THEIR WORDS AND ACTIONS. I THINK MY UNCLE EL CAN GET AN AWARD IF THERE WAS AN INCONSISTENCY AWARD.

  2. “… President Edgar Lungu says his administration is focused on transforming the Zambia into a regional health tourism hub….”

    Pure embarrassment!!!

    • He has no policy, no benchmark or even budget allocation or even funds to suggest that he intends to turn Zambia into a health tourism hub…his govt can not even construct a simple health post without asking for outside assistance…this is clearly a drunk lazy bum making utterances late into the dinner party.

  3. Surely there must be some consistency from leaders.Just look at the filth in UTH and you say you are making Zambia a health tourism hub?Patients are sleeping on the floor and you think pipo will come from neigbouring countries to come and sleep on UTH floors?

    • Even if the buck stops at the president, surely there is a board of directors at UTH and what is it doing? Are the two ministers of health detached from reality at UTH? Shame on you Zambians.

  4. At turn Zambia into a medical tourism. These guys are joking. who will be coming her for the medical tourism? Most of our friends are doing well economically. even DRC Congo is doing better than us. Ethiopia now has a tram, Kenya building fast speed rail, Tanzania is far ahead of us. Botswana and Angola are far head. so where will the tourists come from? Soon we will hear that GRZ has rushed so and so to India or RSA. Just say that you want to improve our medical system.

  5. Really laughable indeed…if the lazy bum understood what he was saying as he can not even pay doctors properly and he himself is an RSA medical tourist.

    • All you critics sound like real arseholes! An intention is a dream to achieve something. If this is a bad dream then I would like to listen to your dreams of future medical facilities in Zambia. Edgar and the PF didn’t turn UTH into the dilapidated monstrosity, poorly run institution it is today. All they can do as government in power is make good plans to start improving the poor standards of medical facilities in this country. Demeaning and dehumanising him everytime he speaks is the duty of all opposition political sycophants.
      Next people who can hardly write proper English will call me Kaponya!

    • @Mundeteke: From the quality of your writing it is clear you are not a kaponya. Instead you are a deranged PFoolish Lungu sycophant.

  6. Talking Shxxxxxxt everyday meanwhile they go out of zambia for treatment avoiding dirty hospitals they failed to improve upon

    • HOW POSSIBLE IS IT TO ATTRACT A FOREIGN PATIENT WHEN EVEN JUST A SIMPLE ROAD (DONE BY TRIAL AND ERROR) IS DONE BY A CHINESE?

      WE HAVE FAILED TO MANAGE OUR EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION LIKE CBU AND UNZA AND THEY NOW FAIL TO ATTRACT FOREIGN STUDENTS LIKE THEY DID DURING KKs TIME.

      THE COUNCILS ARE JUST THERE TO ALLOCATE LAND IN A HAPHAZARD MANNER????

      YOU HONEST ANSWER (REGARDLESS OF POLITICAL PARTY) TO THE ABOVE QUESTION WILL BE APPRECIATED.

  7. …did he imply to mean the hub for training medical personnel at a very high tax payers cost only to lose them to neighbouring countries upon graduation…..??…if the head of state can opt to be treated in SA for just a knee ailment like RB did and to be treated for a hangover at Morningside clinic in SA the we have a long way in achieving that…..definitely not this current crop of politicians…they have no political will…there is no-way ECL would attend that function without taking to the podium….he just had to say something…even if it did not make any sense at all….

  8. this the first president in Africa who has all the time to attend parties, dinners, commissioning of all projects. Wat cost saving measure to stop ministers from travelling when they are following all over the country and everyday going to airport to see him off.
    I feel ashmed as a founder member of PF to have a playboy as president, who is so selfish ZNBC lungu and family only.
    Ma rubbish.

  9. Right!

    So now is the chance for Lungu to walk the talk.

    Tomorrow I want to see a directive from his office that no one working in Government will be sent out of Zambia at Taxpayers expense for medical treatment.

    That is how this can and must work. Our hospitals will IMMEDIATELY IMPROVE!

    Otherwise he is just talking drunk rubbish again. Talk is cheap. Actions speak louder than words.

  10. This man must go,can’t stomach another 5 years with him.He is so selfish.What are the ministers doing.His wife has taken over ministers job,he himself has overshadowed his own ministers who have been reduced to rushing to the airport to line up to greet him .His wife costing us money flying all over with choppers.
    President who has no shame at all,a failed president.We were all blinded with his false humility.

  11. Good move Mr President.
    In 2006, President Mwanawasa engaged a Malaysian Indian, Mr Jegatessan (JJ) to look at trying to industralise Zambia. JJ was responsible for getting Panasonic in Japan to open factories in Malaysia. Jegatessan concluded that:
    1) Zambia should forget about manufacturing. The reason being, the 2 000 kms journey to the port. As a result, an industry in Zambia cannot compete with its counterpart in Durban, Maputo, Mombasa, Dar es Salaam or Port Elizabeth.
    2) Zambia should exploit “medical tourism,”. The Zambian girl child starts caring for her younger sibling from the age of 5, as a result, Zambians are expert at caring, something foreign patients CHERISH. In addition, Zambia’s tourists destinations can be exploited during the patients’ recuperation period,…

    • HOW POSSIBLE IS IT TO ATTRACT A FOREIGN PATIENT WHEN EVEN JUST A SIMPLE ROAD (DONE BY TRIAL AND ERROR) IS DONE BY A CHINESE?

      WE HAVE FAILED TO MANAGE OUR EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION LIKE CBU AND UNZA AND THEY NOW FAIL TO ATTRACT FOREIGN STUDENTS LIKE THEY DID DURING KKs TIME.

      THE COUNCILS ARE JUST THERE TO ALLOCATE LAND IN A HAPHAZARD MANNER????

      YOU HONEST ANSWER (REGARDLESS OF POLITICAL PARTY) TO THE ABOVE QUESTION WILL BE APPRECIATED.

  12. HOW POSSIBLE IS IT TO ATTRACT A FOREIGN PATIENT WHEN EVEN JUST A SIMPLE ROAD (DONE BY TRIAL AND ERROR) IS DONE BY A CHINESE?

    WE HAVE FAILED TO MANAGE OUR EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION LIKE CBU AND UNZA AND THEY NOW FAIL TO ATTRACT FOREIGN STUDENTS LIKE THEY DID DURING KKs TIME.

    THE COUNCILS ARE JUST THERE TO ALLOCATE LAND IN A HAPHAZARD MANNER????

    YOU HONEST ANSWER (REGARDLESS OF POLITICAL PARTY) TO THE ABOVE QUESTION WILL BE APPRECIATED.

  13. Mr President. Can you please explain how you are going to achieve what you are talking about considering that, the 2016 health is lower than the interest you will be paying for the Euro bond? I am lost sir as your 2016 budget shows that your priority is servicing the Euro bond (paying more on interest than health) than any other sector.

  14. Lungu should stop making speechs under the influence of beer or what meter strong stuff he takes were is he going to get those speciality Doctors that they can not pay and it is the duty of any Government to provide those machines he is talking about In hospitals nothing special about that. UTH is a total mess stop insulting the voters you go to south Africa

  15. Its like you look at the audience and then tell them what you think they want to hear. Even if you are a dreamer is this something you can even claim is top of your agenda. Can’t even supply enough drugs to our hospitals. The other day a friend got bashed by a car pa Chilanga, took him to the clinic and they say go to UTH because our ambulance has no fuel and the driver has left look for your own transport!!! Where are these people living because sometimes they talk like they are abroad.

  16. Yes, Lungu on this one is wrong as there us nothing on the ground pointing towards what he is saying. But may be we need to blame his Minister,PS and other Technocrats in the Ministry of Health and his Media Advisor for failing to prepare an appropriate speech for him! There is nothing anywhere I think not even the PF manifesto that points towards an agenda to develop medical tourism in Zambia!! Bushe kulalanda landa fyeee???

  17. NOT WHEN IT IS TAKING THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH ‘CENTURIES’ TO BUILD, JUST, HEALTH CENTRES EVEN WHEN THE BORROWED MONEY IS AVAILABLE. THOSE HEALTH CENTRES SHOULD HAVE BEEN FINISHED A LONG TIME, AGO. OR AT LEAST MORE THAN 75% SHOULD HAVE BEEN PUT UP ALREADY.

  18. Maybe one of his “advisors” told him how many millions of Dollars Satas “medical tourism” cost the Nation!

    Or he saw the world class private hospital built in State House just for one person, also costing billions!

    And now he thinks Zambians can get rich in this business.

  19. Some comments made by the so called Zambians in the diaspora are very childish,shallow and nauseating.Please leave specialized fields like medicine to professionals in the field.UTH has for long been yearning for super specialists in the sub-specialties like Cardiology,Nephrology,Hematology,Ebdicronology,Rheumatology,Neurology,Gastroenterology to name but a few.Thumbs up Mr President!!Way to go!!

  20. Some comments made by the so called Zambians in the diaspora are very childish,shallow and nauseating.Please leave specialized fields like medicine to professionals in the field.UTH has for long been yearning for super specialists in the sub-specialties like Cardiology,Nephrology,Hematology,Endocrinology, Rheumatology,Neurology,Gastroenterology to name but a few.Thumbs up Mr President!!Way to go!!

  21. The president is living on planet MARs other wise he would not say such things. one even basic neccessary health equipment is not there and EL is dreaming of health hub. Lord have mercy on him for he is lost.

  22. If our hospitals had improved since HE EC Lungu took over, maybe we could have believed. How can we be a hub when we lack even simple medicines, tests, consumables and patients have to buy these from outside the hospitals? I think Zambia needs to be serious with planning if such projects are to take off and not crash land like the national airline project.

  23. Am sure this idi0t will laugh at himself in the morning in a sober state when he sees the recording of his speech. This is one person who is not ashamed of telling lies! Where is he going to find money for this expensive project! Next year he has to start servicing the Euro bond at an extreme rate of interest! This is a man who has to officiate at every function including weddings and opening of butcheries! What a joke of a president!

  24. I am glad HH will NEVER have opportunity to make policy pronouncements in his life time! I am glad his people will continue to suffer hate, jealous and pain in their evil hearts! God bless you Mr. President!

  25. This guy (chagwa) has a very narrow view of politics! He thinks politics is all about telling lies to the electorate and he believes that’s what everyone does! He is very dull! He doesn’t know the most important things in politics and that’s why he chickened out of the BBC and VOA interviews!

  26. This guy (chagwa) has a very narrow view of politics! He thinks politics is all about telling lies to the electorate and he believes that’s what everyone does! He is very dull! He doesn’t know the most important things in politics and that’s why he chickened out of the BBC and VOA interviews!!

  27. Chagwa, should first clean UTH, have running water, patients should have gowns not sleeping with their dirty clothes from home. He must have talking under the influence of Jameson indeed. Let him paint the building in UTH , Kaunda was never admitted outside the country. He used to go to his medical check up at UTH , why can’t chagwa also do the same. Instead of thing of sending doctors outside to specialize when we don’t have lates equipment. Is he normal mwebantu. People sleeping on the floor, any way, he was just talking under JAMESON.

  28. Lungu and his PF cannot even manage to organise water and electricity in Lusaka, the CAPITAL CITY!

    Now he wants to have people come for medical treatment and the toilets do not flush, no water to wash hands in the taps. This is how disease epidemics happen. Choma is already suffering from and outbreak of diarrhoea!

    He needs to go for “medical tourism” to somewhere they have doctors that can fix his brain!

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