Southern Province Minister Edify, Hamukale, has advised the Ministry of Health to urgently work towards building more infrastructures at Choma General Hospital where some of the facilities have been condemned and recommended for demolition.
Dr Hamukale says the ministry should consider the construction of modern facilities at the hospital as a matter of urgency to avoid disruption of vital health services to members of the public.
The minister was speaking at Choma General Hospital today after management informed him that the Ministry of Works and Supply has condemned structures at the old wing because they are not fit for human habitation.
Hospital Medical Superintendent, Abel Shawa, said the old wing, which is accommodating the female and children’s ward as well as the laboratory and theatre, has been recommended for immediate closure because it is not fit for human habitation.
Dr Shawa said if the old wing is closed as per recommendation, it would mean shutting down the female and children’s wards.
But Dr Hamukale said the provision of modern infrastructure and specialised services befitting the hospital which is now serving a huge population in the provincial capital must be prioritized by the ministry of health.
He said he will engage the Minister of Health, Chitalu Chilufya, to find how best to resolve the infrastructural challenges at the institution.
Earlier, Dr Shawa complained about the poor funding of K112, 000 per month which was rendering the provision of vital services at the hospital difficult.
He told Dr Hamukale that the institution is supposed to receive a monthly funding of K400,000 as opposed to the current K112,000.
Why all these disjointed statements Lusambo talking of what needs to be done with Ndola hospitals, Dr Musonda giving UTH ultimatums and now Hamukale in Choma…. I know the ministry has planners who budget and plan for these things that are executed in budget year and should be clear to all govt officials. This approach confirms 25% budget over spending and all the mess we have seen with this govt. Can we please have a clear position and resource commitment for the issues that plague our health sector… Then we can track implementation and not this thing were everyone wants to be health experts
@1Shameless, you are right! The fact that Provincial Ministers are now full Cabinet Ministers might have led some of them feeling too “big headed” as if in control of some portion of the country! Instead of using their ease availability to meet their fellow Ministers in charge of Ministries,they have resorted to playing to the gallery instead working actively to solve the problems they have identified! May be Lungu needs to call all of them together and discuss how they Provincial Ministers will coordinate with other Ministers otherwise they will soon be at war with each other!