President Rupiah Banda has said that the Government will take over payment of salaries to doctors and nurses at Beit Cure Hospital along Kabwe road in Lusaka.
The President made the announcement after touring the hospital which specialises in the treatment of children with disabilities.
Mr. Banda said he was touched by the commitment shown by the staff at the private hospital where children and adults from all parts of Zambia were receiving treatment at no cost.
The President visited the hospital to see first-hand the surgical operations being conducted by veteran United States constructive surgeon Joseph Clawson.
Dr Clawson, who is also known as “Doctor of the Poor” is in Zambia at the President’s invitation and will return to the United States on Saturday.
President Banda said he first learnt about Dr Clawson’s surgical operations when he watched a documentary on CNN which showed him performing his works in Zimbabwe. It was at that point that the President initiated Dr Clawson’s invitation which the he gladly accepted.
Mr. Banda directed the Ministry of Health to begin the process of taking over the payment of salaries to the Beit Cure Hospital doctors and nurses.
The President was also happy that the mobile health services, for which he has been roundly criticized by some opposition leaders, were being offered by Beit Cure Hospital in their own mobile facilities.
This is according to a statement to ZANIS from State House signed by the President’s Special Assistant for Press and Public Relations , Dickson Jere in Lusaka, today.
ZANIS
I thought this is a private hospital which should self finance and not dependant on the Govt. RB – ensure that Govt hospitals are well funded and nurses and doctors are paid well and stop poking your nose where ever it suits you.
Not too fast Mr Alabee,It should be nationalised then.
What Principles or Guidelines did RB follow in making this Decision? What about other Private hospitals doing great jobs? They will certainly complain and accuse RB of Segregation! I hope, I hope, I hope RB or his sons have no Shares in this Hospital, Remember he invited this American Doctor to this Hospital!!!!!!!!
Thanx Mr RB. Keep it up. When r u going 2 sell Beit Trust Hospital coz it kn’t pay salaries.
Oh sh**t but why ? And i was almost made to believe that Beit hospital was a potential employer. But now with the government payroll ? Hmm nkani yalula.
Pay my sister her retirement benefits! Since she retired in 2006 as a nurse,she and many others haven’t been paid their benefits and now instead of resting in her old age,she has to go back to work!Take care of business before taking on issues of expanding the ministry payroll when others are suffering in poverty because they haven’t been paid what rightly is theres!!
Ba Bwezani, somethings require careful thought prior to proceeding. This directive is definitely not well thought out, its a good gesture but not well thought out. MoH are provided with funds based on a budget that is linked to planned activities. MoH like many other government ministries rarely get sufficient funds to cover their operating costs and salaries are recurring costs and not a one-off item that you can forget about. It is extremely unfortunate to have to place the ministry in such a position when they have no control over their own budget (MoF holds the purse). If you want to go ahead with bank rolling the hospital, then provide an adequate budget for the workers through MoF and not short change MoH which already has enough financial problems on its plate.
The next thing will be to look are the qualifications of those doctors and poor nurses, and victimization begins some will end up losing jobs
RB do you have advisers? it saddens me to see this low thinking and i even wonder the thinking capacity of those who rally behind RB. Our president makes so many mistakes and we know he is human but its too much, he needs to think. remember some of the blanders he has made
1. Directing Minstry of Local govt to give title deeds to marketeers at Chisokone market. 2. Many other issue
While it is appreciated that Dr Clawson was able to perform surgery on Zambian children, I hope rupiah does not turn this into a long term surgical solution.
47years after independence we us a country have trained medical staff in various specialties, what is lacking besides incentives to retain these specialists and the necessary tools for these Zambians to carry out their duties, is the willingness and plan of action by the govt.
There are a lot accomplished Zambians in various professions working abroad and we all know that most of you politicians including rupiah who frequent South Africa on Medical Tourism are attended to and treated by Zambian doctors.
I believe Dr. Clawson was brought in for political expedience
Mmmmmm!!!! Great that people were helped but don’t we too have doctors trained for above mentioned. Thanks doc for your time volunteered but this is some funny stuff; good government shall help our medical personal though it is still bizarre.
We should ve presidential elections every year so that RB should continue, year by year doing everything that he thinks will please certain groups in our society.
Banda can do with a specialized surgical operation on his nose also, awe sure, it is way too big and his cabinet ministers are complaining of asphyxial feelings during his meetings because his humongous nostrils are drawing all the air around leaving them with nothing for their lungs. Please Dr Joseph Clawson, claw off Rupiah’s ugly murderous organ from his face.
….and obviously those doctors will be paid better packages than those in government hospitals….even when they have same qualifications and experience.
This is the sort of behaviour that lays open loop holes for abuse, as suddenly out of the blues, MOH has to expand it’s payroll by presidential directive. What of the other mission hospitals that are also privatel funded or supported, should they also be featuring their benefactors on Larry King, so that they attract RB’s interest?? This is cheap politicking! However, good for Beit staff & those that will make use of the loop holes, Donchi kubeba, enjoy the cash!!!
Sometimes it’s even pointless to blog coz no matter what we say or do we stup!d Zambians are just too Docile we take what ever Matuvi we given by GRZ .. We talk talk talk for a few days then bury our heads in the sand .
and this is the man you all help to side-lined Magande for? pandering to the lowest denominator, I supposed now that Gagdafi is not able to pump money in his campaign he is getting desperate to hold on to power. if Zambians allow this man to get back in to power then we all will have deserve what comes next.
For those that dont know in the UK the GP or indeed if you can draw up a project you can open a GP’s Surgery (clinic) or something bigger present it to Governemt and they provide you the funds.
Funds being the salaries etc… Why because they are supporting the health institutions in the country so what Bwezani has done is a good thing what is required now is that we pressure him and the government to make sure they do the same for most health institutions that will provide for Zambians
What is wrong here is the way it has been done! After his visit he should have consulted government to introduce what you talking about. He is not the governmment and certainly in the UK, the prime minister does not commit his government like that unless things have drastically changed.
We need to move away, fast, from policy formulation aimed at ONLY winning votes. What happens after the elections? What guarantee by the way is there that government can even sustain this if it cannot pay public workers?
Its amazing how you dull Zambians see everything wrong or political in what government does. This is a private hospital which has been giving free medical care to the poor which is supposed to be a government responsibility. The government has decided to play its part by paying salaries as part of its responsibility to the people of Zambia. Whats political about that?
Whichever political party anyone belongs to in Zambia, no one can deny the fact that the country is now starting to develop economically in which ever way you can measure it. Today Zambia is far much better off than many African countries and is starting to be a becon of hope in the region as well as a very important economic hub. Quantas the Australian airline will start operating a flight from Perth via Mauritius to…
You are wrong. What govt could have done is to start paying for the services in way that would leave the principles of free market intact. Look at this, if I were to open a private school offering free education, will I qualify for this great offer? This is not workable and is retrogressive in a country where health facilities require so much attention. Leave privase hands to function within their means.
Well said Engineer. There is so much criticism even in the positives that GRZ is doing. Maybe its because Zambians have never witnessed such genuine blessings (development) and are sceptical at every move. Here we have a place that is sent medication and equipment from abroad and has volunteers working there to facilitate free medical care to our children and then we are critcising a president who wants to pay the volunteers. Come on Mpandashalo
Look there are also serious legal issues involved. This is not practical. Will the Accountant General be in charge of the accounts of the hospital? Will the current contracts at the hospital be revised to bring the rates down to the GRZ ones or will we have to revise the GRZ ones? Will the Auditor General be auditing the hospital’s accounts since it will be getting government funds?
I DO appreciate the idea behind this but what RB should have done was to see if it would have been possible to first of all give them a grant and then consult the government how to implement it. You just do not wake up and make a directive that has serious implications on many other arms of the government. I am 100% sure that no advisor to the president will agree with this but yet again, why bother?
Mr Mpandashalo, what rates do volunteers get? You volunteer and get nothing for it. If you are lucky, you get transport money and a meal. Its charity work. There are no rates to talk about here. Dont mistake this for an enterprise/business where you allow forces of supply and demand to balance the equation (price). There is no free market in charity.
What RB is trying to do is to make us, receivers of charity, show that we can help ourselves aswell. Its a simple humaniterian decision from an incumbant wise man who is working for the pipo. Even catholic bishops are paranoid with the blessings from our president. Who in the right mind would condemn what RB did regarding housing arreas to the poor. The bishops should be the last pipo to do this. Anyway, have a blessed Easter my brother!
That’s why there is a strong belief out there that the reason Zambia will never develop is not because of the selfish leaders that we have but owing to the dullness of the general population where these leaders hail from. A good example is you bloggers condemning the presidential directive to take over staff remunerations at this hospital. Government is paying teachers’ salaries in mission schools. Government is already paying salaries of workers in mission hospitals and clinics. And yet the mission schools charge fees. Now here is a hospital providing a service for free and government decides to contribute its share, it becomes a problem. Dull DULL Zambians.
What kind president is this? Inviting a doctor from America to come and do operations at the private clinic. This is rediculous/////////
#12 lol, you’ve cracked me up. For sure am for the idea.
This gesture may be good but we need to run things of the nation in a more systematic manner by dealing with issues holistically, not piecemeal or by shear coincidence just because RB happened to be at that place at that time. What about other similar places? What yardstick is he using so that others can follow for fairness’ sake? Singling out one individual in this way is clear corruption.
RB, congrats on that bold positive move. That hospital is doing a great work in the country and for government to step in and offer assistance, it’s a commendable decision. Thanks, Mr President
ZAMBIANS! ZAMBIANS!!When are you going to appreciate a good deed.Here is a Private Hospital that treats Zambians FREE FREE FREE and all the workers there a volunteers ie Doctors ,Nurses and Cleaners.Surely any responsible Government through its President cannot just sit and do nothing about it.These workers are treating our own relatives for FREE.RB should therefore be praised to allow GRZ contribute to their welfare.
RB makes directives as if he running his farm or grocery store! The staff at Beit get better salaries than Govt health workers!Govt has regulations to be followed n you just don’t dream of wat has to be done! Shame on you Ala Bee
Political desperation at its best…Your day is coming…
Nice gesture Mr Presido, campaign gimmick or not !!
BANDA has beaten the PF, UPND pants down. Myanya fikalafyenu. ViVa RB. this time its 67% landslide. and we wont take Sata to Jo Berg for heart surgery this time around. we shall take him Beit trust hospital to mend Umutima wankakisho( makeshift heart)
Viva HH, zambia forward!
Politics aside, our research students, staff and professors think that RB should be complimented for his directive to the private hospital. Faithfulness pays. Those doctors and nurses are treating our disadvantaged people. Let them use the little they have to improve the hospital facilities and equipment. Every institution offering free services should be supported. In Australia, govt does help for instance private fee paying schools financially. So, nothing bad about what GRZ is going to do to this hospital. Let us just appeal to GRZ to offer good payment to our doctors, nurses and staff in our govt hospitals.
Where will the money to pay these health workers come from? I have been off payroll for 2 years now after my unpaid leave. Am told cabinet office has not approved becoz of budget constraints!
Am keenly watching to see how these other health workers from Beit hospital will be paid. Maybe i should also see ala bee..Someone help ,how can i see rb?
#18, i am a GP in the UK and thats news to me. Can you just open a practice and ask govt to fund you, really?
much as we appreciate the fora that lusaka times provides us, sometimes their level of reporting is not up to scratch. so think it is wise to seek further details on this statement because something seems amiss here. it is not possible, not even in his sleep for rb to decree that government will take over payment of private companies’ payrolls. i will hypothesize what he most likely said
1. government will take over payment of the costs incurred specifically for the poor children drawn who had been invited to avail themselves of these services because as you know we not fortunate enough to have a national health insurance as they have for instance in the uk where twist @ 33 practices,,,, (its just a question of nomenclature because it’s the government which pays for the services that
services that #33 provides to his/her clients as a private entity or co-op, albeit indirectly)
i beg to digress here as this brings me to a related issue. do people recall the time western countries, the imf in particular were bearing down our necks to remove food subsidies? well guess what? they were busy doing the same thing themselves only that they were subsidizing food at the source, ie subsidies to farmers, but in africa, as we do not have appropriately accountable systems, the best and safest way to do this is to subsidize the actual product, so colleagues lets be careful we we condemn ourselves
2. i forget my second point because i digressed
aweee mwandi
SILLY ZAMBIANS THAT IS A PRIVATE HOSPITAL RB SHOULD USE THAT MONEY TO IMPROVE THE CONDITIONS IN GOVT HOSPITALS. BY THE WAY DOES EVERY ONE GO TO THAT HOSPITAL.
I think we all agree not to like Ala Bee but we surely must give credit where its due. Not that you lose your opposition to Ala bee and his govt but notice the good in bad.
#37…its a special hospital for children with disabilities. I thought you could READ!!