Friday, March 29, 2024

I paid for my own medical treatment in SA- Mushimba

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Transport Minister Brian Mushimba
Transport Minister Brian Mushimba

Transport and Communications Minister Brian Mushimba has disclosed that he paid for his own medical bills in South Africa.

Responding to a backlash on Twitter after he posted a photo with his wife following his discharge from a Johannesburg Hospital where he was treated for close to a month after he broke his right arm, Mr Mushimba said he cleared every bill which was handed to him.

“I went to South Africa with only my wife to keep costs low. Every bill that was handed to me and my wife while in SA, we paid out of our own personal funds and we have receipts,” Mr Mushimba tweeted.

Mr Mushimba also apologized for blocking some individuals on his Twitter page who had asked about his medical bills.

“After much reflection, I totally have realized my part in the storm surrounding my being discharged from hospital. I want to unreservedly apologize and open a new page on our friendship and our online interactions. I take responsibility for the events referenced,” he said.

“All questions asked of me, if I have answers, I always answer. If I don’t answer it’s because I may not know enough and I would not want to mislead my friends I interact with here on this platform. But if I know the answer, I pledge to provide it as an elected official.”

He said, “After the accident, UTH did their best to stabilize me. I lost lots of blood. My wife was crying uncontrollably. My hand was crushed. Damaged beyond redemption. Bones, nerves, ligament, soft tissue. Damaged. cut it off was suggested. Finally a referral for 2nd opinion. Enter SA.”

Mr Mushimba also stated that access to specialized treatment must be accelerated adding that no Zambian should lose their arm, if it can be saved.

He said he will offer himself to speak to on behalf of Zambians on the need to fast track access to specialized treatment for all Zambians.

48 COMMENTS

    • The PF regime has increased by more than 500% the weekly fees medical students on industrial attachments are required to pay.
      The ministry of health under the leadership of presidential hopeful Chitalu Chilufya imposed the attachment fees in 2017 saying the charges will help hospitals meet costs of training medical students.
      Medical doctors have been paying K174 but this has been increased to K1000 per week per student. Student Nurses and midwives will now be required to pay K500 to the ministry of health every week. They were paying K70 or K50 per week depending on whether they were pursuing a degree or diploma. Clinical officers will now pay to the ministry K500 from the previous K93 and K152 depending on level of course.
      The new fees have been backdated to January 2019 and affects…

    • Continued
      … The new fees have been backdated to January 2019 and affects students from both government and private colleges.
      While the purported reason for the fees is to assist hospitals meet costs, these fees will be deposited into a general account and will not even be channeled to the Hospitals.
      Attached is the memo signed by the Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Health.
      For people like minister Chitalu Chilufya who loot government coffers everyday, these are small, affordable amounts, but to millions of Zambians, this is a matter of life and death and many will drop out of colleges for failing to pay these huge fees.

    • Show us the receipts, you probably dont have any receipt because they were sent to the embassy in SA.

      And who paid for your evacuation? Didn’t the MoH pay for your fright including your wife’s?

      Mushimba wrecked a GRZ vehicle driven at midnight (outside working hours) and then got awarded with the best medical care one can get. And got another vehicle. We live in a banana republic.

    • Immputy isuula, taibula kubwekeshapo.
      Nobody feels sorry for you Brian, not even your wife, who is currently packing to leave you, because you will be replaced as Minister with one useless hand. You’re right handed not so?
      Who said “tondolo musuma”?
      Now you bring up “self-paid”. The speaker is reading this, your seat in parliament will be declared VACANT pofye.

    • If medical treatment abroad comes with the perks of the job then I can’t fault him. It’s up to his employer to change the contract which I think is long overdue.
      Whatever circumstances surrounded the accident is a nonissue as no one dictates in which car one can have an accident in. Quick recovery Mr Mushimba.

    • “After the accident, UTH did their best to stabilize me. I lost lots of blood. My wife was crying uncontrollably. My hand was crushed. Damaged beyond redemption. Bones, nerves, ligament, soft tissue. Damaged. cut it off was suggested. Finally a referral for 2nd opinion. Enter SA.”
      Really laughable….how did this man crush his arm whilst in a big vehicle like that…where is the receipt? Telling lies and being unaccountable has become the norm. What is the Police report saying? The doctor and the spokesman who announced this never said anything about a broken arm even in that photo all he had was light bandage.
      These are the people who will be flying on credit on that useless airline to RSA.

    • Hon Mushimba, you are a working government that has improved health services. Why didn’t you have your program fixed at UTH? Your going to South speaks volumes about poor health services under PF because those of you who can afford can go anywhere even when not seriously sick leaving the poor rotting in Zambia. Shame on you as we say welcome back with Airline and speed train stories.

    • Where did this presidential hopeful Chitalu Chilufya borrow the idea of imposing attachment fees in 2017 being charged on medical students? It sounds weird.

    • Yes you paid your own bills using money from Zambia, sustaining employment of the SA Med staff, contributing to the SA GDP. So what did Zambia get in return for your education, appointment as Minister and Kankoyo for electing you?

    • Suddenly he has remembered that he paid for himself ….this sounds familiar when first lady went to receive fire engines in LA after criticism we heard how part of the costs were paid for by the people that invited her …uhmmmmmmm

    • In 5 years time only the children of the rich will be doctors graduating and guess what none of them will want to work in Imilemo or Sesheke or Mumbwa or Katete. We will be back to importing doctors from Cuba because of policies of these greedy people like dull Brian.

  1. If only we could all be inspired by the most patriotic citizen, KK who still use Zambian doctors he educated, hospitals he built and while leading a modest life style. It will take bold leadership to reverse the damage we are in.

    • Simply ask Brian one simple question …how did you break your arm in a fault accident you were involved alone? Were you drunk?

  2. Zambians he has receipts. If he shows them to us, we shall accept and move on. Transparency is all we ask for. I am not going to politic here, just moving on.

    • When I tell you these are LAZY LUNGU YEARS you think its a joke…just imagine the things they are doing behind closed doors. Where is he going to afford a RSA hospital bill for a month? They sad part is that Lazy Lungu is quiet as usual waiting for the next by-election so he can dance on stage.

  3. Show us receipts and match them with your source of income. We don’t want stories afterwards that my friends or my relatives chipped in.

    • Which doctor in UTH recommended him to go to RSA…really laughable …that’s like going to a mechanic with a tyre puncture and he recommends you to go to TOYOTA Zambia.

  4. THESE ARE THE THINGS THE OPPOSITION MUST TAKEN ON PF.
    THE ECONOMY IS BITING AND ALL WHAT WE HEAR AND SEE EVERY ARE INCREAMENTS OF SCHOOL FEES.
    UPND WAKE AND SHOW WHY WE SHOULD VOTE FOR YOU.
    SATA WAS REAL OPPOSITION LEADER BECAUSE WHEN MMD WAS IN POWER,SUCH NONSENSE COULD NOT EVEN HAPPEN.

  5. The people of Sesheke you have neglected want to see the receipts that was issued by the Hospital or your utterances should be treated as just hot air . Where on earth have you seen a Zambian politician paying for services they use .Even most their kids are at universities abroad using tax payers money .Stop treating Zambians as fools because they are now getting smarter that you lot scum bags in government .

  6. Mushmba has money. Remember the guy was getting a six figure salary working for larfage in Atlanta U.S. He is a U.S permanent Resident or Citizen so i am sure he has health Insurance.

    • @Bane, maybe. But he already has put his foot in his mouth. He blocked people then decided to tell the “truth”. You cannot f.o.o.l all of the people all the time.

    • Do you even know how Health Insurance works …ignorance of the highest order, is he on holiday in Zambia…why did he not say so? If he has money why is he driving a GRZ vehicle on Friday night

  7. I think paying the fees is not the case here but going to SA TO FIX YO whatever is the case, do you really people think for a moment how you embarrass us here? this century Zambia can’t fix a minister’s broken arm. it really hates

  8. I belive this is one minister in PF worth his salt…..well done for the dialogue Brian..

    What a breath of fresh air from the PF stinking corrupt carcus this minister is.

    I belive him.

  9. Mushimba is a very dishonest human being. Where is the money he signed for the train from Serenje/Mkushi to Chipata? Did he get the 10% cut from the $2.3 billion he signed with China? What about the cut from the Airports and the planes he promised to buy from Russia? Why are you Zambians so gullible to be lied to every second? Someone up here says Mushimba was getting six figures with Larfage, did you see his paycheck? What if I told you I get seven figures, would you gullibly agree? Who in the US discusses their salary? Let him substantiate where the money came from. Oh, by the way, Mushimba as you say is a US Citizen, how did he become an MP in Zambia when Zambia did not have duo citizenship? These are crimes against our constitution.

    • I dont like the PF government, but Pungwa you sound like a hater who is bitter that Mushimba is doing fine as a Minister in Zambia, while your life hasnt turned out okay in the US. And so what if he has dual nationality and it wasnt legal at the time, well it is legal now.

  10. Arguing about what most here do not even understand. Let the media investigate and see if their is something amiss here otherwise you are persecuting an innocent man. How can you condemn when unhave not investigated the facts. At least he is willing to answer questions. For the sake of truth and fairness do ask him. Remember that Brian did not enter politics empty handed like most.

    • Which media? when even the police can not produce a report? No report of blood sample to test for alcohol if at all he was operated on

  11. Boza, why would you pay for your own medical bills as a sitting Minister when Mike Mulongoti a former minister gets his bills paid by the state?

  12. Mushimba NOW to speak on behalf of the poor Zambians who have lost lives due to poor medical facilities created by his PF government! Wait till you lose another limp and speak the LOUDEST. How do you comfort those who have lost their beloved ones, cry on.

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