GOVERNMENT will this year construct a hospital in Lusaka West to decongest the University Teaching Hospital (UTH), Minister of Health Joseph Kasonde has said.
Dr Kasonde said at a press briefing in Lusaka yesterday that the hospital is expected to be completed in the first quarter of next year.
He said land has already been identified and funds have been set aside for the project.
“We are serious to build hospitals across the country. This hospital will have a bed capacity of 250 and will be almost like Levy Mwanawasa Hospital,” Dr Kasonde said.
He said the site is being cleared in readiness for construction works.
“This hospital will help cater for the people in Lusaka West and surrounding areas,” the minister said.
Government is also building 650 health posts, clinics and hospitals around the country to improve the healthcare system.
Building new hospitals should be in tandem with comprehensive health care reform.
So what is your question?
Has the Minister addressed the “artificial shortage” of drugs as he announced? It would be wiser to get the current health system working more efficiently but that requires a change in the entire leadership at the Ministry of Health. UTH is a prime example of failed leadership. The President must take action and fire these the Minister,PS and Directors at MoH.
Mr Minister, how can you start building a hospital of Levy Mwanawasa size ‘sometime this year’, and hope to complete it by the election time next year? Is it building a house that you complete in months? And the 650 posts you are talking about have several challenges, one of which is lack land. One was beeing built on my father-in-law’s farm through enchroanchment, and we have since put an injuction, and is the slab is abandoned for good, yet the Councillor was warned that it was private land – occupation of private property, the PF style!