Dear Editor
IT is not desirable to be an opposition aspiring presidential candidate in tomorrow’s elections. What would one want to campaign for or against especially in the health sector has already been done by the Edgar Lungu government.
All that one would want to base his or her campaign on has being rendered useless by the PF’s achievement of universal health coverage.
All that we thought cannot come to fruition within a short time has become a reality, thanks to Edgar Lungu and his government’s consistency on health matters.
When they promised that they would build 650 health posts across the country and promised to employ 25, 000 health workers between 2011 and 2021, all of us, especially the opposition leaders laughed off saying PF was hallucinating. True to their campaign promises as contained in their manifesto, they have already built 559 health posts and 100 district hospitals, and two more tertiary health institutions.
In addition, the second phase of the cancer hospital has been completed creating capacity space for 250 patients.
To live true to their promise to bring about health tourism, the PF government has constructed two modern specialised hospitals being Maina Soko and the Lusaka Specialised Hospital. Is it what the people who voted them into power expected of the performing government?
The answer is a categorical yes. What about their promise of employing 25, 000 health workers? Have they achieved that goal, almost hitting their target, 23, 000 health workers have been employed so far.
As if that is not enough, their plan of broadening universal health care was actualised by establishing the National Health Insurance Management Authority for both public and private workers and it has so far recruited one million principal members to the shock of their detractors, the opposition parties.
I’m sure the people of Zambia have experienced positive change in this area, no wonder the opposition parties no longer campaign on important areas of the economy and governance because the PF government has done wonders in the health sector and others.
If the fulfillment of campaign promises of the political parties is what motivates Zambians to vote for a particular presidential candidate then President Lungu is going to win big going by what his government has achieved so far, if it’s otherwise then I don’t know what we want as Zambians.
Imagine where Zambia would be in terms of development when Mr Lungu is given another mandate to lead Zambia.
Indeed, Zambia would be another India in terms of health infrastructure and universal health services. This is no mean achievement.
Zambians must reciprocate the sacrifice and hard work that has been shown by the Edgar Lungu-led government by giving them a massive vote tomorrow.
Remember that each one of the registered voters has the responsibility to participate in this important civic duty of voting. Let us turn out in numbers and vote wisely.
Author
