Maravi

Sata warns Rupiah against politicising MoH

Sata warns Rupiah against politicising MoH
By George Chellah
Wed 21 Apr. 2010, 03:59 CAT

RUPIAH has always been a failure when it comes to running government, Patriotic Front (PF) leader Michael Sata has said. Reacting to President Banda’s statement that the country has sufficient stocks of drugs, Sata challenged President Banda to prove his claims on the drug situation in the health sector.

“Where are the drugs he is talking about? Can he tell us which hospitals or rural health centres have these sufficient stocks of drugs,” Sata said. “Rupiah is just making wild claims because his administration has lamentably failed to run the health sector.

Tell them that they can bluff on other issues but not on anything concerning the Ministry of Health because I know the Ministry of Health like no man’s business. So let him not give us stories about his imaginary sufficient stocks of drugs in the country. I challenge Rupiah to disclose the quantities of the so-called sufficient drugs in all the hospitals and clinics countrywide. Let the nation know which hospital or clinic has what in terms of drugs.”

Sata warned President Banda against politicising the Ministry of Health.
“It is clear that power has not only gone to Rupiah’s head but it has also spread to his toes. Power has now even engulfed his toes. That’s why he appointed cadres such as Jazzman Chikwakwa, Stephen Bwalya and Mwalimu Simfukwe to the level of permanent secretary in Luapula, Lusaka and Nothern provinces, respectively,” Sata said.

“But Rupiah must not mislead the young man Dr Peter Mwaba newly appointed Ministry of Health permanent secretary because Mwaba is a professional who is running a professional ministry. The Ministry of Health is a professional ministry, it’s not a ministry of cadres.

“If they infiltrate that ministry with cadres, we will go back to the olden days where doctors, nurses and other professionals were fleeing the country.”

Sata said President Banda has infiltrated the civil service with MMD cadres.
“Rupiah thought these cadre permanent secretaries like Chikwakwa and Bwalya will be too powerful and will eventually neutralise PF in the provinces or elsewhere,” Sata said. “But they have lamentably failed. Anyway, what do you expect because that’s Rupiah for you, he is a failure and has always been a failure when it comes to running government.”

On Tuesday, President Banda said there are plenty of drugs in Zambia.
Speaking after he swore-in Ministry of Health new permanent secretary Dr Peter Mwaba at State House, President Banda said there were media reports about the shortage of drugs in health centres but verification checks revealed that there were enough drugs. He attributed the shortage of drugs in some health centres to communication problems between various health centres and Medical Stores.

He said the problem in the supply of drugs was administrative.
President Banda said Medical Stores had problems delivering the drugs. He urged Dr Mwaba to ensure that drugs were available in all health institutions countrywide.

Labels: MINISTRY OF HEALTH, RUPIAH BANDA, SATA

posted by MrK @ 3:37 PM