Nakonde District Hospital management has completed emergency repair works on its mortuary unit and upgraded sanitary conditions across all wards.
The structural and hygienic turnaround was revealed during a follow-up inspection conducted by Muchinga Province Permanent Secretary, Tuesday Bwalya, who was accompanied by senior government officials to assess the completed repair works at the facility.
Dr Bwalya expressed satisfaction with the swift improvements, following a strict 14-day ultimatum he had previously issued to the hospital’s administration.
Prior to the repairs, the district’s largest referral health facility was facing severe infrastructure collapses, forcing patients to endure unhygienic conditions.
In mid-May, Dr Bwalya conducted an impromptu spot check at the hospital, during which he discovered that patients were forced to fetch water using buckets and drums due to internal plumbing failures which prevented water from reaching toilets and maternity wards.
During his last visit to the facility, the PS also discovered that the hospital mortuary had been completely non-functional for over three months, causing immense distress to local people
Dr Bwalya said some of the problems that the facility was experiencing can be dealt with by management without being pushed.
He expressed satisfaction with the works done and further commended the promptness and urgency taken on the repairs.
Speaking when he met administrative staff at the hospital, Dr Bwalya, emphasized that public institutions must maintain high operational standards independently.
“Management teams across the province must run these public facilities efficiently with minimum supervision from my office,” Dr Bwalya pointed out.
He stated that taxpayers deserve functioning infrastructure without provincial leaders always stepping in, on local collaboration and costs.
Dr Bwalya said the extensive rehabilitation process required close inter-institutional cooperation between medical staff and local engineering teams.
Nakonde District Director of Health Services, Philip Munkonge, said the rapid response which included the re-operationalisation of the mortuary was made possible through collaboration from the local authority and health department in the district.
Meanwhile, Provincial Health Director, David Silweya, disclosed that the ultimatum served as a positive catalyst, prompting management to look inward and proactively to resolve other hidden operational bottlenecks.
Dr Silweya also expressed gratitude to the government for maintaining stable healthcare support in the region, noting that the availability of essential drugs at the facility currently stands at a commendable rate of over 75 percent.
And Nakonde Town Council Secretary, Donald Mwanza, who oversees all devolved departments, assured that the local authority remains fully committed to intervening whenever structural or operational challenges arise.
“The local authority will continue to work hand-in-hand with the hospital, to ensure that all sanitary problems at the facility are resolved in a timely manner,” Mr Mwanza stated.
Mr Mwanza explained that both institutions will continue to source alternative funding through various council revenue ventures and the health department in a bid to safeguard the facility against future infrastructure decay.
He added that collaborative efforts further made it possible for the local authority to work on the access road that leads to the facility and mortuary area.
Before concluding his visit, Dr Bwalya toured the rehabilitated female, children and maternity wards, and spent time interacting with frontline healthcare workers to appreciate their improved environment.
