Maravi

Concept of mobile hospitals is an exercise in futility, says Nawakwi

Concept of mobile hospitals is an exercise in futility, says Nawakwi
Written by George Chellah
Sunday, May 31, 2009 11:43:17 PM

FORUM for Democracy and Development (FDD) president Edith Nawakwi has said the concept of mobile hospitals is an exercise in futility, which is bound to have disastrous consequences. And Nawakwi said the mobile hospital concept would paint a negative picture on President Rupiah Banda's legacy. In an interview, Nawakwi said the concept of mobile hospitals was not feasible.

"I think that it's an exercise in futility which is bound to have disastrous consequences, and will probably paint a negative picture on President Banda’s legacy," she said.

Nawakwi said the amount of money to be spent on mobile hospitals could be used on the construction of rural clinics.

"The same amount of money if people could listen to the outcry... the same amount of money could give us over 1,000 rural clinics. I believe the Zambian woman would be much more comfortable delivering in a three bedroomed satellite clinic either in Kabwandu, Namushakende or Mugurameno. These are obscure names but they are in Zambia where there are no roads," Nawakwi said.

"If we as Zambians could give our rural folk satellite clinics and a health workers dwelling I believe this amount of money, which is under discussion is more than adequate. We could have permanent structures with solar lighting, basic minimum facilities for emergencies in rural areas."

She insisted that permanent structures like satellite clinics were better.

"We have seen many ambulances, I recall that in 1992 I did deliver an ambulance to Nakonde. It is history but the mortuary, which we constructed, the maternity clinic, which we constructed at Mwenzo and Nakonde is still there," Nawakwi said.

Nawakwi said the most depressing part about the mobile hospital transaction was that the money was not coming from the softer window of the Chinese government.

"It is coming from a commercial window called Exim Bank of China. That's the sad part about this transaction. This brings into focus the issue of how debt is contracted in this country. And that's the point that Zambians are making that we should privilege Parliament on details of debt contraction," Nawakwi said.

"The international community has written off the debt, which we owed, you cannot again hardly a year later go back and say now you are credible in the market therefore lend us on a commercial window and commercial interest rate when the country is wallowing in poverty."

Nawakwi advised the government to invest in sustainable ventures.

"It is extremely difficult to explain to the international community that your people in rural areas need support when you are going to commercial windows to contract debt for non-sustainable ventures. Basically these ambulances will be vessels for carrying charcoal, fish, beans, rice, and chibwantu. The bottom-line is that it is a non-sustainable venture," said Nawakwi.

"Let's invest in sustainable projects. It cannot be the preoccupation of the government to say that each village needs an ambulance. What we need is sustainable infrastructure and that infrastructure is permanent clinics and if we don't have enough money let's put up satellite clinics."

Labels: EDITH NAWAKWI, FDD, MINISTRY OF HEALTH

posted by MrK @ 10:46 PM