Maravi

You’ll like mobile hospitals once they come - RB

You’ll like mobile hospitals once they come - RB
By Sandra Lombe in Livingstone
Tue 03 Aug. 2010, 14:00 CAT

PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda yesterday said those condemning the procurement of mobile hospitals will need them once they are finally purchased.

And President Banda wondered whether PF leader Michael Sata and UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema would not visit other countries in the event that they were elected into office. Speaking upon arrival at Livingstone International Airport, President Banda said the government would buy nine mobile hospitals for all the country’s provinces.

“Next year, we are building 100 schools. Never before has it happened in the history of the country, statistics of 100 schools being built by a government, never. We are also bringing in nine mobile hospitals, one for each province to areas, they will be moving to areas where people can’t reach treatments,” President Banda said.

He said the government would also buy 12 boats for areas near the waters and on islands where people had difficulties to access hospitals.

President Banda said they would be distributed to all provinces where people needed water transport.

“We are also bringing into all the nine hospitals special equipment to ensure that people don’t have to move unless it is so critical. Equipment to that will take care of serious injuries,” he said.

He said currently people were taken to Lusaka for medical attention but the government had decided to take health services as close as possible to the people.

“And you will hear them say that these mobile hospitals… we don’t need them, wenye amudala wenye pure lies big man. When you say you don’t want them, you will want them when they come because the people will want them,” he said.

He castigated the people that condemned the procurement of mobile hospitals.

He said there were headlines about the ambulances and some parliamentarians said they did not want them.

President Banda said when the ambulances came, he directed that the parliamentarians who opposed the procurement should not be given, adding that the same parliamentarians complained when they heard that others had been given the ambulances.

“The same people when they heard that everybody else had them, they complained. You will want the mobile hospitals when they come because the people will want them,” he said. “There is nothing wrong about them, they are good for the people.”

President Banda said the MMD would continue to fight and ensure victory in Livingstone and the province.

He urged party members not to be disturbed by anyone.

President Banda said he would return to the province with cameras to inspect the works on some roads and projects and show his critics that the government was working.

He said he was in Luena last week and he was happy that the people were against violence.

“I am really so grateful to the people of Zambia. They have heard the call from the leadership of this country, from the leaders of the Church… that we don’t want violence. We want peace. I am happy the Luena and Chifubu people don’t want to be lured to violence,” he said.

“We want people to express themselves freely during the elections.”
President Banda said he was set to visit Chifubu, Luapula and proceed to Eastern Province.

“We are going to put up a fight, Pact no Pact. They must know that the MMD is the party that has withstood the opposition from UPND and from PF ever since the MMD came into power,” he said.

President Banda said the MMD was working on reducing poverty and unemployment.

He said most countries faced many problems such as droughts and floods.

“I am sure if it was here, they could have said it is me that has caused these floods and droughts,” he said.

“We know there are bad roads but the most important thing they are forgetting is to tell the people that the MMD are trying their best to reduce poverty. There is no human society that has no problems. Asia, life is about problems...”

President Banda said the MMD was determined to be with the people wherever the problems were.

He urged the people not to look for faults because problems existed everywhere including homes.

President Banda said the international community had noted that Zambia was progressing and developing.

He said he was visiting other countries because he had been invited.

“You know that Zambia is a member of the SADC, Zambia is a signatory of SADC, AU, and UN and that you know that presidents visit each other from time to time. When presidents from other countries invite me, I am obliged to go and visit him, and they are obliged to come and visit me. They know that Zambia we are good people; that’s why they come. But they will say ‘no, no he is travelling’,” President Banda said.

“Mr Sata and HH, is it true that you are going to isolate yourselves… and live in a cocoon and you will not be able to honour the protocols you have signed for?”

And Southern Province minister Daniel Munkombwe said Zambians were not happy when President Banda was insulted by what he called senior friends.

Scores of MMD cadres that welcomed President Banda flashed blue cards and had a banner with the inscription “Blue card intention 2 vote RB back to office nafuti nafuti”.

President Banda was expected to attend the Bene Mukuni traditional ceremony in Lvingstone.

Labels: CORRUPTION, MOBILE HOSPITALS, RUPIAH BANDA

posted by MrK @ 7:01 PM