Government has released K800,000 each to all the Level One hospitals and K2 million each to all the tertiary hospitals in Lusaka Province for purchase of essential drugs.
Lusaka Province Health Director Cosity Mwale disclosed this in Lusaka yesterday during the Provincial Development and Coordinating Committee (PDCC) virtual meeting chaired by Lusaka Province Minister Sheal Mulyata.
Dr. Mwale said Government has released K800, 000 each to all the Level One hospitals and K2 million each to all the Tertiary hospitals in the province to enable them buy essential drugs as they wait for the Zambia Medicines and Medical Supplies Agency (ZAMMSA) to stabilise the drug situation in all the Government health facilities.
Dr. Mwale said health facilities in the province have stocks of drugs ranging between 60 and 75 percent saying the release of K800,000 to all the Level One hospitals and K2 million each to Tertiary hospitals in the province is meant to boost the availability of drugs as well as to fill up the gap in the drug supply chain during the period ZAMMSA is trying to stabilise the supply of drugs to the health facilities.
He said that Government through ZAMMSA has procured drugs and other medical supplies for the health facilities saying by the end of the second quarter of this year, the drug supply chain in all the health facilities will drastically improve.
“The K800, 000 released to each of the Level One and K2 million each to the Tertiary hospitals in Lusaka Province is to enable the health facilities procure essential drugs and this is just a short measure as ZAMMSA is trying the stabilise the drug situation in the country,” said Dr. Mwale.
Meanwhile, measles and Scabies which hit some parts of Lusaka Province at the close of last year and early this year, is now under control.
Lusaka Province Health Director Cosity Mwale said the measles and Scabies outbreak have been controlled through a massive and successful vaccination campaign mounted by the department in collaboration with other stakeholders.
He said that Scabies outbreak is under control saying his office has now heightened sensitisation on the need to maintain high standards of personal hygiene in the areas that were hit by Scabies.
“I want to report to you that measles and Scabies which hit some parts of Lusaka Province in the recent past has been controlled and in case of Scabies, we have now heightened sensitisation to maintain high standards of personal hygiene,” said Dr. Mwale.
By February this year, Lusaka Province had recorded an increase in scabies cases with an accumulated 619 cases as at January.
In his official opening remarks during the virtual Combined Provincial Disaster and Epidemic Preparedness, Prevention, Control and Mitigation Committee Meeting held in February this year, Lusaka Province Permanent Secretary Robert Kamalata said in addition to the COVID-19 pandemic, the province was experiencing other diseases of public health concern such as measles and scabies.
Mr. Kamalata disclosed that the province had seen an increase in the number of scabies from quarter 4 of 2022.
He said that the whole province was recording scabies cases with the most affected districts being Chongwe and Rufunsa.
Mr. Kalamata said that by Week 6 of 2023, the province had recorded 619 scabies cases cumulatively.
“The province has continued recording scabies cases with Rufunsa and Chongwe being the most affected and so far from last quarter of 2022 to Week 6 of 2023, we have recorded 619 scabies cases cumulatively,” said Mr. Kamalata.
Mr. Kamalata however, assured members of the public that Government will continue providing the needed support to contribute towards the improvement of the health care and other social economic services to its citizens.
He said that Government also recognised the efforts being carried out by the front line civil servants and civil society and pledged to support the efforts of all the partners in development.
