Thursday, March 28, 2024

Nsumbu Mini Hospital Construction Delayed, Contractor Summoned for Explanation

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The Northern Province administration has summoned the contractor engaged to do the remaining works on Nsumbu mini hospital in Nsama district to explain the delays in completing work despite being paid.

Northern Province Permanent Secretary, Bernard Mpundu, said the provincial administration is disappointed with the slow pace at which work on the project are moving.

Mr Mpundu said it was disappointing that not much work has been done on the project.

He expressed doubt if the contractor will meet the five-month deadline set for completing the works.

Mr Mpundu said this in Nsama district when he inspected the construction work of the mini hospital which is funded by the Lake Tanganyika Development Project.

The visibly annoyed Permanent Secretary said that government is in a hurry to see the hospital completed so that it can start offering medical services to the people.

“I am disappointed that what is being reported is not what is on the ground as regards the progress of the project,” he said.

Mr Mpundu said that this is why the provincial administration wants the contractor to explain why work has delayed.

He noted that the Lake Tanganyika Development Project, which is spearheading the project, is coming to an end soon and hence his office will not condone any further delays.

Mr Mpundu has further directed the district administration in Nsama to closely monitor and supervise works.

“You must take ownership of the project. It is your project, and in the absence of the provincial administration, you must supervise the work here,” he added.

And speaking earlier, Nsama District Works Supervisor, Dominic Katongo, said it is worrying that the project has remained at the same stage despite government spending a lot of money on the hospital.

Mr Katongo noted that the completion of the hospital will serve many people in the district which does not have any other health facility.

“It is disappointing that whenever the government engages local contractors, they fail to deliver according to expectations,” he added.

He has since appealed to the office of the Permanent Secretary to engage the contractor if the works are to be completed as scheduled.

“The information that we are getting from the foreman may not be adequate, hence the need to engage the company’s management over the matter,” Mr Katongo noted.

But Shachitali Construction Company Site Foreman, Mathews Zulu, assured the Permanent Secretary that works would be completed as scheduled.

Mr Zulu said despite moving at a slow pace, progress has been made in a number of areas.

“In two months’ time, we will be able to finish the remaining works despite moving at a slow pace,” he said.

2 COMMENTS

  1. When did the construction of this mini-hospital start? The AfDB project started in 2015 so what exactly has been the problem? And Mr Mpundu and Katongo should not make this sound like it’s a new deal govt project. This money is not coming from GRZ but Africa Development Bank your job is to supervise and make sure the project is completed before December 2023, so start working! 1d!ots!!!

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