ACCESS to comprehensive, quality health care services is essential for the attainment of health equity and for increasing the quality of a healthy life for everyone.
Disparities in access to health services affect individuals and society. Limited access to health care impacts people’s ability to reach their full potential, impacting negatively on their quality of life.
In any health system, good health services are those that deliver effective, safe, good-quality personal and non-personal care to those that need it, when needed and with minimum waste.
Services, be they prevention, treatment or rehabilitation, may be delivered in the home, the community, the workplace or in health facilities.
This is the reason the Patriotic Front (PF) government is investing massively in the health sector to ensure there is adequate and timely provision of quality health care services as close as possible to the people.
Government’s vision for the health sector is equitable access to quality health care and it is gratifying that Government has recognised that a healthy population is critical to improved production and productivity.
Recently, Government through the Ministry of Health, embarked on the upgrading of some clinics in Lusaka Province into first-level hospitals as a way of addressing congestion at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) and Levy Mwanawasa General Hospital.
Lusaka Province has eight districts – Chilanga, Chirundu, Chongwe, Kafue, Luangwa, Lusaka, Rufunsa and Shibuyunji. It has 430 health facilities made up of 145 Government, 270 private health facilities and 15 church-managed health institutions.
Some of the clinics that are being upgraded are Chilenje and Matero reference urban clinics at a total cost of K80 million.
Chipata clinic was the first to be upgraded followed by Chawama, Kabwata, Chelstone and Kanyama clinics.
Lusaka Province medical officer Kennedy Malama said in an interview that the upgrading of Chilenje and Matero clinics to first-level hospitals is nearing completion.
“Government is upgrading the facilities to improve the delivery of healthcare services in the capital city.
“Government is expected to provide extra medical and support staff, non-medical equipment and furniture. The two health facilities will be opened to the public before the end of next month, this year,” he said.
About 97 percent works of the two facilities have been completed and once the two clinics are completed, they will improve the health services and help decongest UTH and Levy Mwanawasa General Hospital.
The facilities will also take the required health services closer to the people, thereby reducing infant and maternal mortality rates.
Dr Malama also explained that the rehabilitation of Chilenje clinic includes the construction of a double-storey structure comprising outpatient department, maternity, eight wards, administration, ancillary facilities as well as provision of medical equipment.
At Matero Reference Urban Health Centre, the upgrading included the construction of wards, physiotherapy and a dental department.
Dr Malama said Government made the right decision to upgrade the health centres because Matero clinic was incapacitated and residents had to wait for long hours before they could be attended to.
He added that the upgrade will further benefit the high population in the area with improved health care services.
Upgrading of the health facilities is in line with the government’s goal of providing quality health care to all Zambians and will help to reduce the burden of health care accessibility to surrounding communities.
Besa Musonda, a Matero resident, has commended Government for the improved access to public health services.
Mr Musonda said improved medical care in the area was long overdue as sick people in his community had to go to UTH or Levy Mwanawasa hospitals for health services.
“We want to thank the government for upgrading Matero clinic to first-level hospital and this is what we wanted done in this area.
“We will now stop going to UTH or Levy Mwanawasa to seek advanced medical attention,” he said.
Lillian Changwe, a Chilenje township resident, said over the years, the challenge of fewer medical practitioners and health care facilities at Chilenje clinic had resulted in long queues and delayed attendance to emergencies.
“The Patriotic Front government should be commended for what it is doing for the people of Zambia, especially us in Chilenje. We want to thank the government for upgrading this clinic to a first-level hospital,” she said.
David Kasonde, another resident of Chilenje, urged the government to continue investing more in the country’s health sector saying this will ensure that the nation has a health people capable of contributing effectively to national development.
The provincial administration is also happy that under the 650 health posts programme, Lusaka Province has benefited 35 health posts of which 19 are already completed while the remaining ones are scheduled to be completed before the end of next month.
The construction of Luangwa District Hospital with phases one and two have been completed while construction of phase three of the hospital has started.
Construction of the hospital under phase one included the service block (kitchen, bulky store, laundry and compartment for power distribution), maternity block, operating theatre and X-ray department at a total cost of over K7.2 million.
Phase two included one ward, mortuary, outpatient department, administration block, incinerator, four medium cost houses and water supply system at a total cost of K4 million.
The construction works of phase one and two started in 2013 and were completed in 2015 and it was opened to the public on March 15, 2016.
Phase three, which shall include construction of six low cost staff houses, two wards and external walkways, has commenced and will cost K4.5 million.
Dr Malama also said construction of staff houses at Sikoongo in Chirundu district has been completed and that the construction of staff housing at Chiawa Health Centre in Kafue district has started while construction of staff house at Ibbwemunyama in Chirundu would commence soon.
It is pleasing that the province has continued to benefit from the infrastructure improvements taking place in the health sector.
In 2015, over K8.7 million was provided for infrastructure projects in the health sector while in 2016, over K12.3 million has been provided for.
Zambians should also be happy that government is building 650 health posts across the country and it is constructing district hospitals, and so far, many have been completed. UTH is also undergoing a facelift to modernise it.
With all these efforts that the government is putting in place, Zambians will soon start receiving improved quality health care services closer to their homes.
Source: https://www.daily-mail.co.zm/
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