The Government initiative to procure Mobile Clinics on the Copperbelt has been received with mixed feelings with some Kitwe residents saying the facilities would help to deliver quality health care among the poverty stricken Zambians especially in the rural parts of the Country.
In a Survey carried out around the Copperbelt today the residents said most of the Zambian People in the rural parts of the Country have no access to proper medical facilities while those in Urban areas were failing to meet medical bills currently being charged in the Zambian Government Hospitals due to high poverty levels.
A Ndola resident Musa Sichalwe said the Mobile Clinics would enable poor people in both Urban and Rural areas access quality health care at their door step in line with the Millennium development goal on Health.
He added that most of the people in Rural areas were currently dying in their homes due to lack of access to medical facilities which were mostly located in distance places.
He said their was need for the Government to be accountable to the Zambian people and proceed with the project if it was going to be done in Public Interest and not meant to enrich the pockets of a few selfish individuals in Government.
However, some people also felt that the proposal on the introduction of mobile hospitals was so not a good initiative adding that Government must construct permanent health facilities in areas were they were lacking.
A retired clerk from Kitwe Central Hospital Albert Bwalya observed that the US$ 53 million loan that government wants to borrow will negatively affect the Zambian economy amid the global economic crisis.
Mr. Bwalya said it was unfortunate that Government wants to borrow a huge amount of Money at a time when most of the people have been retrenched while a lot of retirees were languishing without being paid.
And a Chingola resident, Kabwe Mwenya said that government should build permanent structures rather than spend a lot of money on mobile hospitals.
Ms. Mwenya further said that mobile clinics were a disadvantage in that they might only operate within a specified period of time their by limiting access to the people in a particular locality.
Misheck Simwanza a Kalulushi resident stated that the introduction of mobile hospitals was another way for government to incur more debt which it will fail to pay in future.
Mr. Simwanza noted that the idea would erode the confidence of the Zambian Health Sector thus create problems in the general economy which will subject more Zambians to suffering.
ZANIS
Forget about the mobile clinics, we don’t need them. Zambia needs doctors and nurses in the few hospitals we have and drugs. On top of that just have the structures we have equiped with the necessary facilities and an upgrade wouldn’t be a bad idea.
It is a pity that this is a straw poll that has no statistical significance and the head line is misleading. ZANIS is a state owned institution. I am for mobile hopsitals but I would dismiss this article with contempt. Government should put forward the right arguments for this project instead of this cheap and useless propaganda.
Wow, how much talk shall we have on this topic? Yes, it is clear that no matter what we do, others will die and some will live on. Nature as it is can be difficult to control but through proper planning, we can somewhat try to keep up with it if and only if we understand what is involved. I certainly have love for the people in rural areas and I feel bad when I think of what they are experiencing when it comes to medical care. The suggestion I have is that the govern ment must empower the chiefdoms to come up with ways of raising revenue which can be used to construct local clinics. Some of the things they can do is hold ceremonies which would attract tourists to their region.
In addtion to that, they can sell crafts and produce from that land. I am pretty certain that if it is done, the government would assign medical professionals to man the clinics. Going forward, locals with minimum education can be trained in areas such as vital sign diagnosis, first aid, and health science. This is the only way I see that would propel health living and long life in the rural areas. A sucrifice has to be made. We should move away from the culture of being donor dependent. What do you think?
THE QUESTION IS, IS GOVERNMENT GOING TO MEET THE COSTS OF RUNNING THESE MOBILE CLINICS FOR THE NEXT 5 YEARS, IF THEY CAN’T RUN A FEW ABULANCES THAT ARE IN URBAN AREAS…………………………WHAT A WASTE OF MONEY
I think there is no need for Govt to borrow huge sums of money just to purchase mobile clinics. I dont think, with our current economic tomoils, purchasing mobile clinics is a priority. We have serious problems that need immediate attention. Please lets prioritise our needs first instead of wanting to please the chinese. UTH is wallowing in dare need for major attention, and this applies to many other huge hospitals, Ndola C. H inclusive. Why not improve these available infrastructures. Why not build more clinics in those rural areas. I gaurantee you, these mobile clinics will be expensive to maintain, at the end of the day, you need fuel, you need a driver, servicing, etc. Maintence costs will will so high than just running a well built clinic. C’mon Zambians, think abt it.
See how many govt vehicles go to the garage for maintenance and never come back. These mobile clinics will, one day go to the garage and never come back and meanwhile, we will be paying tax for govt to continue paying back the loan. Please lets not borrow money for mobile clinics. This venture is not sustainable. When we see this 10 yrs from now, you appreciate my comments. Its not sustainable.
People always have fears about change and new things. Let those clinics role in. Better one on wheels than none.
NO NO NO NO NO NO NO TO MOBILE CLINICSFULLSTOP
Is government then going to bulid permanent structures during the lifespan of these clinics on wheels? or we shall forever be a mobile clinic country aftr these things are imported? This venture is to me just another one of govt’s escapes to the ‘easy and cheap’ route which as in many other cases just ends up being failed projects! If all the brains in ministry of health, finance and others concerned don’t see that this is a case of cheap is expensive, ninshi katwishi fye pa zed. I wont be surprised if there’re vested interests in this. That money will do better in going towards rehabillitating major hospitals. Infrastructural devpt (fixed) is a key element towards dvpt, and not mobile things which’ll end up wasting away in some garage. Please NO mobile clinics!
Do not even think about these mobile clinics. You will fail to maintain these vehicles.