Government will soon operationalize all the clinics in Lusaka that have been upgraded to level 1 hospitals in order to enhance service delivery.
Health Minister Dr Jonas Chanda notes that doing so, will also promote the model of care in conformity with the district level status due to large population catchment areas.
Speaking separately when he toured the soon to be commissioned Kanyama and Chawama level 1 hospitals in Lusaka, Dr Chanda assured that government will also prioritize recruitment of human resource in order to promote efficiency when it comes to health care service delivery.
The Minister also called on hospital management for the two health facilities to expedite the needs assessment report in order to facilitate for immediate operationalization of the two facilities.
The minister who was accompanied by UTH Director Clinical Care and Diagnostic Services Dr. Alex Makupe and Nkoloma ward councilor Tasila Lungu Mwansa explained that the model of care should befit the new infrastructure development of health facilities that the PF government has done.
He said there is need to take care of patients within their localities in order not only to bring medical services closer, but to also reduce the burden of referring cases to tertiary hospitals such as the University Teaching Hospital and Levy Mwanawasa Hospital.
Dr Chanda also called for decentralized care of COVID-19 patients within the level 1 hospitals in order to strengthen community management of the pandemic to avoid further spread. “It is good to see such huge investments in the health sector and clearly shows the importance that President Edgar Lungu attaches in promoting access to quality healthcare,” Dr Chanda said and recalled how small the facility was when he was doing his medical attachments as a medical student over 20 years ago compared to the unprecedented progress that has been recorded now.
And at Chawama Level 1 hospital, Dr Chanda directed for the facilitation of a mortuary in order to reduce the burden on tertiary hospitals.
Meanwhile, Dr Chanda has disclosed that the next cabinet meeting is expected to table the way forward with regards to the COVID-19 vaccine following the $25 Million support towards vaccine acquisition and deployment by the mobile provider MTN, to the African Union.
He assured that government will be as transparent as possible with the issue of the vaccine as he urged Zambians to individualize the fight against the pandemic in order to record progress.
He said this when he gave the COVID-19 update where he disclosed that Zambia had the last 24 hours recorded 555 new cases out of 3,910 tests done while 9 deaths were also recorded in the same period.
