Thu, 16 Nov 2017 12:40:52 +0000
By Annie Zulu
ROAN Member of Parliament, Chishimba Kambwili was brought back to life using an ambulance he described as useless acquisition by then ruling party, MMD.
This came to light in Parliament when Health Minister, Chitalu Chilufya in defending the usefulness of the mobile hospitals, narrated the accident ordeal that left Mr Kambwili unconscious and he had to be resuscitated by medical personnel on a mobile hospital.
Mr Kambwili had asked the government to explain the purchase of expensive ambulances similar to what the MMD had bought.
“When MMD bought the mobile hospitals, PF and UPND on the floor of this house condemned the procurement and said it was a waste of money, I will forgive the minister because by then he was MMD and supported the procurement.
Minister, these mobile hospitals have become a white elephant, why would a reasonable Government during the time that Government is so much in stress in terms of finances go back to make the same mistake that MMD made, buying very exorbitant things that have now turned into white elephants,” Mr Kambwili said.
It was at this point that Health Minister Chitalu Chilufya explained the importance of mobile hospitals in rural areas and in emergencies in remote areas. “And Mr. Speaker I will end by just giving an example of how useful these facilities on wheels are, in a very unfortunate incident some months back Mr. Speaker, there was an accident in Mwense where my big brother honorable Kambwili was involved.
“Mr. Speaker, we responded at jet speed, sent an advanced life support ambulance with trained paramedics and we found the patient unconscious. We started to resuscitate within the ambulance Mr. Speaker and we resuscitated that brother of ours.
“Mr. Speaker and we brought him on life support to Mansa general hospital, Mr. Speaker, it is one of the cases we have documented as success stories and a matter which has even attracted promotion for the people who were involved.
“Mr. Speaker, that patient was shifted to Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and remained in coma, we resuscitated that patient for more than a week.
Now he is very much alive, Mr. Speaker, the patient is fit and we had to stabilise the patient and there after evacuated him again on an advanced life support ambulance.
“Mr. Speaker, without that advanced life support ambulance, Mr. Speaker we would have lost the patient without doubt. Mr. Speaker, let us not politicise health care, an ambulance is required anytime,” Dr Chilufya said.
He also explained that a person could have a heart attack on a minibus, and “You can just call a toll free line and an ambulance would come with paramedics who are trained and they will be able to kick start, crank that heart back, put on oxygen, be able to transfer to the hospital and save a life,” he said.
“This is the only way we will reduce mortality from sudden events such as cardiac attacks, this is the only way we can protect women who have bled in remote areas and they require to be shifted to the next facility,” the minister explained.
