By SANFROSSA MANYINDA
CHILILABOMBWE District Health Director Prince Kaputula has called on the Government to build a modern standalone maternity wing at Kakoso First Level Hospital and procure an ambulance for the district.
Dr Kaputula said the health center only had two delivery beds in the delivery room despite recording more than 20 deliveries per day.
Kakoso First Level is the biggest hospital in the district.
“The district does not have a maternity wing and we are asking through the office of the Provincial Minister to help us on this matter.
“The district is also facing challenges with transportation of patients because it does not have an ambulance. We are currently using a utility vehicle which also does not have machines to use in case the condition of the patients get worse,” he said.
Dr Kaputula also lamented that the district has no laundry machines and that it depended on Chingola and Mufulira to take linen for laundry.
Meanwhile Copperbelt Minister Elisha Matambo has described the health situation in the district as an emergency that needed urgent attention.
He assured the District Health Office that he would engage Health Minister Sylvia Masebo so that the challenges were quickly dealt with.
“This is an emergency to the government . It is inhuman to see patients and health personnel experiencing such problems such issues.
“Medical personnel are trying their best to keep the place clean but lack of space destroys it all,” the Minister said.
Mr Matambo assured medical personnel that some of these challenges would be a thing of the past as the CDF that was increased from K1.6 Million to K25 million would also be used on such matters.
