Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Zambia Medical Association to launch own investigation into UTH incident of man ranting at Doctors

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The Zambia Medical Association has launched its own investigation into a video circulating online purportedly showing a patient disparaging Medical Officers at the University Teaching Hospitals, Casualty, and Emergency Area.

Association General Secretary Dr. Masiku Phiri has however commended his members for the exceptional professionalism exhibited in the face of immeasurable provocation as shown in the same video.

“Yours is a calling and ethical vocation, but you are human too and we know to what extent you went to hold your ground”, said Dr Phiri.

“At a time whereas a profession we are deep in the mud fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, at a time where over 40 Medical Doctors have contracted COVID-19 in the line of duty and are currently under quarantine, at a time where doctors are battling depression and mental illness because of what they have witnessed at the battlefront in the war against corona virus, at a time where healthcare workers have been working tirelessly since the outbreak began in March without any incentive or compensation, the last thing we would expect is verbal abuse at the hands of a state agent”, he said.

Dr Phiri said while negotiations continue in the background to find amicable ways of motivating frontline workers, who at this stage of the pandemic means all Healthcare workers, the government is reminded that patience is not in perpetuity.

He has however reassured the victims that should the alleged offender be found wanting, the Association will use all of its available resources to make an example out of him by exhausting all legal channels, with the Association bearing all costs.

“Additionally, we are aware that there was the presence of Police Officers at the scene with multiple witnesses and so are hopeful that a criminal case has been opened against the aggressor”, he added.

Dr Phiri said the Association will keep the membership and the public abreast with developments on this matter.

36 COMMENTS

    • IT’S A CLEAR RESULT OF THE PRESIDENT’S ACCEPTANCE OF THUGGERY. WHEN MINISTERS LIKE LUSAMBO CAN’T BE DISCIPLINED FOR SIMILAR BEHAVIOUR, WHAT DO YOU EXPECT FROM A CADRE? THIS IS WHAT ZAMBIA HAS BECOME UNDER LUNGU – THUGS ARE MASTERS.
      NAIMWE BA ZP, WHY DO YOU HOPELSSLY WATCH A THUG ENGAGING IN PUBLIC NUISANCE WITHOUT TAKING ACTION?

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  1. It’s normal for people to feel frustrated under a pandemic. We thank the medical personnel for being understanding. In hospitals you meet all sorts of people including mentally ill people. The man seemed very agitated and to me that is not normal behaviour. From the doctors reaction you can tell they probably know he is a mental patient and for confidentiality reasons they did not want to state it in the video. We can confirm as pf that this man has no link to the party or the president. He is sadly not well and hopefully will get the help he needs. Sometimes these are people paid by upnd to make the ruling party look bad. Kz

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  2. We are seeing more of this among UPND cadres nowadays. They have been expecting their leader to be leading the way but Bally is coiled in his new Kasama mansion and only appears on facebook pages. This is really frustrating his cadres.

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  3. Indeed it could possibly be a case of mental health issues. I am not a Doctor
    but have witnessed with several people that Anxiety may result in someone becoming agitated; Anxiety in itself is a mental health condition. He could have been tired of waiting to be attended to and just lost it. However, that’s no excuse to abuse the medical team considering how choked the front line staff are with Covid going on. I hope the man seeks professional help and thank you to you our front line medical team for keeping calm. On the other hand, at times some of these people just come to test you for publicity sake on social media. Well done for staying calm!!

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    • No that illness you mention is an excuse. It means he isn’t in charge. His fury has taken hold of him so he needs treatment.

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  4. Diaspora lady I wish I could up vote your comments a 100 times. My dear when are you visiting Zambia so that we network effectively. Kz

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  5. I dont like people who look all incidents with a political eye. Can’t some people grow up. Life is not politics. There are greater things than politics.
    The boy is indiscipline. Let the love of JESUS prevail. I wonder if this KZ is a government worker and what time he work. Hope KZ goes to church. I dont like destroying people as everyone is a child of GOD. We are our brothers keepers. We have heaven to win and hell to lose

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  6. @ Kaizar Zulu, I will be there once borders in Australia re-open. I will definitely find you!! A courtesy visit is definitely in order.

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  7. These are the monsters the PF have created due to weak leadership. Where in the world does a seemingly political cadre behave like that in the ER of the biggest hospital in the country. Clearly he’s behavior is synonymous of of hooliganism. Ironically the police were watching helplessly while he continued with his rantings, That is the result of lame duck leadership at political level. To the doctors, thumbs up for your conduct. I hope the ZMA lives up to their statement to pursue this matter to the full extent of the law, but how that will happen we don’t know as the opportunity was lost when he was not arrested there and then for that conduct.Twanaka nenu ba of cadre. This country really misses President Levy Mwanawsa, MHSRIP, he managed to end MMD cadrerism, sadly pf have trebled the…

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  8. The chap will be examined behind bars for being a public nuisance!
    Ba Mwankole bachilamo. When they taste PF corruption money, they start bossing around, notusungu itwabufi ati “do you know me? Who are you?” … Kikikiki
    That’s behavior for chaps who were not well brought up! Absolutely no manners, not even bad ones! Be careful! People are armed these days. You may end up starting a fight which may be your last! Those also who like road rage, be careful! I witnessed one incident where a Minibus driver was blocking traffic while loading passengers. Little did he know the person behind him was a Military man. He learnt his hard lesson because the officer punctured all the Minibus tyres with his firearm and drove off. Have Courtesy!

    • Chikubabe don’t support rogue behavior. In civilized countries that military man would have been asked on his return to the barracks why his gun had discharged wherever he had gone. Without an answer he would be handed to the Military Police or just normal police for investigations.

  9. The chap will be examined behind bars for being a public nuisance!
    Ba Mwankole bachilamo. When they taste PF corruption money, they start bossing around, notusungu itwabufi ati “do you know me? Who are you?” … Kikikiki
    That’s behavior for chaps who were not well brought up! Absolutely no manners, not even bad ones! Be careful! People are armed these days. You may end up starting a fight which may be your last! Those also who like road rage, be careful! I witnessed one incident where a Minibus driver was blocking traffic while loading passengers. Little did he know the person behind him was a Military man. He learnt his hard lesson because the officer punctured all the Minibus tyres with his firearm and drove off. Have Courtesy!!!

  10. Yes it’s political. That behavior is like Kaiser Zulu at stadium with ZP, or Kaiser at any bar with his guns, or Kaiser Zulu at car accident scene. That’s is behavior of PF.
    It didn’t even have a face mask, and it was up and down screaming. ZP are not keeping their promise.

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  11. I suspect the RTA gave his brain a spin, otherwise he’s just a grand *****. And where does HH and UPND come in? Empty vessel!

  12. The man says he was in an accident. Doesn’t anyone suspect that he sustained a TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) ?. Why wasn’t he quickly isolated and taken care of ?

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  13. This Lungu’s rotting Zambia…the country has decayed to a point where any numbskull can tell off a doctor or police officer in public just by claiming he is connected to State House not even in KK’S one party state was this evident.

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    • The man never said he had connections to State House. He mentioned how HH would sort out all those people annoying him

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  14. The behaviour of the man was disgraceful and uncalled for.
    Some of us appreciate the work being executed by the doctors under difficult circumstances.

  15. while I do not condone the language and tone, I wish we would reform the processes at UTH. Its takes a long time to setup an appointment to see a doctor, you have to wait in a long queue with limited seating to register, the join another long queue to see the doctor then he sends you to get an X-ray. Thats another long queue to take the x-ray then another long queue limited seating to pickup the x-ray. Then back to the doctor to review the x-ray- Thats were the incident takes place, if you have been to UTH you understand, the laiss se faire/ laid back attitude. Yes, health care workers are under tremendously pressure with limited resources but so are Teachers, police officers and other Zambian workers. The issues have built up over a long time and require huge resources to fix but why we…

  16. ..have a stadium with 30,000+ seats that is only used maybe once a week while our hospitals, schools and other government offices that we visit and use every day have limited seats and staff is exactly why the man is angry. Every Zambian should be angry, that is the only way things will begin to CHANGE

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  17. ..have a stadium with 30K+ seats that is used maybe once a week when our hospitals, schools and other government offices that we use and visit everyday is why the man is angry. Kuma nafyala.. sometimes one can not bear it any more, we should have more Zambians speaking out that’s the only way things will begin to CHANGE!

  18. There has to be a zero tolerance of violence on medical satff .The problem is because the PF use violence on every they do .Where is the PF police .

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  19. There has to be a zero tolerance of violence on medical satff .The problem is because the PF use violence on everything they do .Where is the PF police? .

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  20. Ohh Dear the abuse was over the top as he didn’t let anyone else speak… He needed medical attention if in an accident but its hard to help a person in that state in normal situation you call in security to help calm the situation down… the man was not even cooling down when someone he identified was senior than in (ZP).
    It is unfortunate he also made it political but it has happened and I hope looking into the matter is not a witch hunt but a resolution finding exercise as how patient , medical stuff and security personal present would have best handled the situation.

  21. The patient must have been very mistreated as is the case whenever you visit any civil service institution in Zambia. Inefficiency is the order of the day and civil servants have no courtesy. Civil servants are not trained to be civil servants. However, I sympathise more with the doctors than the patient. The patient should know who to direct his anger at. Insulting everyone just means you cant control yourself. Then you need a psychiatrist and I dont men this in a derogatory way because he can help identify the cause of your trauma and treat it. In that ward the patient should have reailised that a doctor is a senior civil servant so you only go to him on appeal not to go and start insulting him.

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  22. @ Diaspora Guy, are you supposed to be the male version of me? You better hold this name with integrity. Am watching you!!!!

  23. @dIiaspora Lady kaili muli kuba zungu kulibe milaini, Niku gwila bwino nzina ka mulina trademark lol. Our doctors need support, the patients in Zambian hospitals need our support, medical help and a stress free place to heal.

  24. The level of corruption in Zambia is shocking! service delivery for public services is so pathetic that those responsible for delivering it slow the process down on purpose with an expectation of being bribed. Doctors and nurses should never be expected to ask people for money. It is so frustrating that you could spend an entire day in Zambia at the bank, passport office or hospital just filling in a form. Equally shocking is the fact that some of these trusted people operate with agents outside lining up people who pay bribes to jump the queue. We need to change direction otherwise this country will go up in flames.

  25. Some of you commenting have no idea what happens at this hospital and maybe your family members have to die in front of nurses and a doctor who are busy teaching you procedure and where to find a wheelchair like mine did in my presence and confusion.

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