30 April 2011
editorial
THE provision of quality health care for all Zambians regardless of their location has been the long cherished dream of the government and all efforts to realize this goal are being made towards its attainment.
Zambia suffered a marked decline in service delivery of quality health care between 1999 and 2002 largely due to inadequate health personnel and health centres.
To address some of these challenges, the government has embarked on a serious construction of health infrastructure and rehabilitation of the existing ones to bring them to acceptable standards.
In addition to these measures, is a concerted recruitment of health workers to beef up some centres that may be understaffed and also service some of the newly constructed clinics and hospitals.
It was against this background that even the procurement of mobile hospitals was born to specifically target the hard to reach places like the rural areas.
It was thus surprising that this good intention aimed at saving people’s lives became political fodder with the well known critics questioning the wisdom behind the purchase of the clinics.
The din that was raised was purely uncalled for because the benefits accruing from these clinics are being appreciated by the people they were intended for.
Today we carry a story of Chongwe residents, the first district to receive the clinics, expressing their appreciation of the unit where seven major operations and 19 X-rays have so far been conducted since the launch about a month ago.
The acquisition and launch of the mobile clinics is a good example of bringing health care service to the door steps of the people who would otherwise have had to trek long distances to get to the nearest hospital.
As some Chongwe residents said in their testimonies, they now do not have to wait to access theatre services at their nearest referral centre the University Teaching hospital because the mobile hospitals have come complete with a theatre.
Who better to commend the government for this initiative than the residents who are seeing and appreciating the benefits of the hospitals.
AllAfrica – All the Time
See original article:
Provision of Healthcare To All is the Govt’s Dream