Hospital use of generator unacceptable – minister

Fri, 24 Feb 2017 10:09:39 +0000

By KALOBWE BWALYA

IT IS unacceptable that St. Luke Catholic Mission Hospital in Mumpanshya area of Rufunsa district is still using a generator to supply the hospital, says Lusaka Province minister Japhen Mwakalombe.

Mr Mwakalombe, however, assured the hospital management that Government would ensure that the hospital was connected to the national grid to allow it run smoothly so as to continue delivering quality health service to the surrounding communities.

He expressed concern that such a big and busy facility did not have power and it was still using a generator which was expensive to maintain and it had been disadvantaged from acquiring modern equipment because of lack of electricity.

“I am appealing to ZESCO to expedite the works to connect St. Luke hospital to the national grid to ease its operations, but I am informed by the district commissioner that the area will be connected by October this year.

In the meantime, we just have to find ways of helping the hospital, among other challenges it was facing,’’ he said.

And Mr Mwakalombe has taken it upon himself to ensure that the hospital was equipped with a modern X- ray machine so that many patients benefited as one which was in place was down, forcing patients to travel long distances to Chongwe and Levy Mwanawasa hospital in Lusaka for X- ray facilities.

He said an X-ray machine was an urgent component for the institution as it was derailing the progress at the institution because despite having many qualified health personnel, it could not deliver.

Mr Mwakalombe said Government valued every life and it could not continue losing lives when a solution could be found, saying he would ensure that the machine was installed as a way of taking facilities closer to the people.

“The issue of X- ray machine here at Mumpanshya has really affected me because we cannot continue losing lives when a solution can be found.

I have taken upon it myself to ensure that a new X-ray machine is put and I will engage my colleagues from Ministry of Health so that they can assist you with another machine as soon as possible,” he said.

And Rufunsa district commissioner Judith Chama said many people were dying due to lack of equipment at the hospital as they were being referred to Chongwe and Mwanawasa General Hospital in Lusaka.

Ms Chama said there was need to have a new X-ray machine because the hospital was a busy one due to the accidents that occurred on Great East Road on a daily basis.

Meanwhile, acting Lusaka provincial health director, Dr Kakungu Simpungwe, said the hospital was faced with many challenges among which were old infrastructure and the delay in completion of the mortuary.

Dr. Simpungwe said now that the hospital had a nursing school there was need to have modern equipment to lessen the burden of patients who were covering long distances to seek medical attention.