HEALTH Minister Sylvia Masebo says the country needs an estimation of 60 thousand health workers for the country to effectively reduce its disease burden.
Ms. Masebo says government is implementing several strategies to increase the number of health workers currently standing at 35000.
Ms. Masebo said the successful attainment of Zambia’s goal of being a prosperous middle-income country by 2030 should begin with the transformation of its people into a healthy and productive population.
The Minister said this during the 15th graduation ceremony of biomedical students at Ndola School of Biomedical Sciences.
She said government would continue prioritising health service provision as a path to achieve its ambition of making Zambia a prosperous middle income nation by 2030.
In a speech read on her behalf by Copperbelt Province Permanent Secretary, Augustine Kasongo, Ms Masebo said increase in the number of health personnel would take the country closer to optimal numbers of health workers required to ensure equity of access to cost effective, affordable quality health services closer to the families.
“The ministry of health will continue facilitating training of laboratory staff in Biomedical Sciences at Masters Level, which is already happening at the University of Zambia,” Ms Masebo said.
She stated that the graduation of Biomedical Sciences students was an opportunity for laboratory personnel to upgrade to postgraduate level and specialise in various fields of Biomedical Sciences.
Ms. Masebo says her ministry was emphasising the practice of evidence-based medicine and had urged the graduates to promote the highest level of ethical standards.
And University of Zambia school of Health Sciences Dean, Sody Munsaka said innovation and research was key for the growth of the health sector.
Dr. Munsaka urged students being trained by various schools to embrace innovative, responsible and ethical professional health practitioners.
Dr. Munsaka urged the graduates to respect patients and clients as well as maintaining higher levels of confidentiality when dealing with customer and patient records.
– ZANIS
