Maravi

UTH admits Teta to ICU

UTH admits Teta to ICU
Written by Chibaula Silwamba
Thursday, September 03, 2009 12:10:48 AM

LOCAL government and housing minister Benny Tetamashimba has been brought back from a South African hospital and is admitted to Lusaka's University Teaching Hospital (UTH) intensive care unit (ICU).

A check at the UTH found a notice on the door of the ICU ward, which read: "Strictly No Visitors for Hon. Ben Tetamashimba." And government sources close to Tetamashimba revealed that the minister was very sick.

"Yes, I can confirm that Hon Tetamashimba came back from South Africa yesterday [Tuesday] and was straight away taken to the UTH intensive care unit around 16:00 or 16:30 hours. If you went to UTH now, you will find him there but his condition is bad. He is a sick man; he is very sick. He is not talking," the source said. "He is supposed to be at UTH. All I can tell you is that there was no need for him to be in South Africa."

Another source said Tetamashimba was taken to UTH in a convoy.

The source said some senior government and ruling MMD officials accompanied Tetamashimba to UTH.

"They used the VIP entrance through the maternity ward to bring him to the ICU ward," the source said. "People who were on the bedside of the patients in ward G11 yesterday [Tuesday] morning were ordered to go outside, behind the wards claiming that VIP [Very Important People] visitors were coming, but the visitor they were referring to was Hon Tetamashimba who was brought to the ICU around 16:30 hours using the VIP entrance behind the maternity ward."

Tetamashimba is also MMD chairman for publicity and member of parliament for Solwezi Central.

On Sunday August 9, 2009, Tetamashimba was evacuated and admitted to Morningside Clinic in Johannesburg, South Africa for specialised medical treatment.

The government remains tight-lipped about Tetamashimba's ailment.

Labels: BENNY TETAMASHIMBA, UTH

posted by MrK @ 11:13 PM