Maravi

Priest tells govt to prove healthcare critics wrong

Priest tells govt to prove healthcare critics wrong
By Darious Kapembwa in Kitwe
Fri 26 Nov. 2010, 04:01 CAT

A clergyman says the government must prove that service delivery in public hospitals is above average instead of criticising those exposing the poor conditions.

Commenting on the poor conditions at Mbala and Mpulungu hospitals that were exposed when PF leader Michael Sata visited the areas, Caritas coordinator for Kasama Archdiocese Fr Nicholas Kaliminwa said there was no need to criticise visitors to the hospital.

Fr Kaliminwa said no one was required to get permission from anyone to visit a hospital.

“These hospitals fall in our boundaries as Kasama Archdiocese and as a church, we are concerned about the state of these hospitals because you cannot have patients sleeping in such conditions and carrying their own chitenge materials to use as bedding,” Fr Kaliminwa said.

“I think we are being unfair. I am not supporting Sata but what we are told is that he gave a lift to a sick old woman who was going to the hospital and then he came across that sad situation. Surely, you cannot blame Sata but work on what he exposed or if it is not true, prove that services are better."

He said the government needed to maintain the already existing hospitals and provide proper equipment even as it constructed new health facilities.

He said there was need to come up with a mechanism to protect patients in public health institutions.

“Otherwise, we are not supposed to criticise but we should evaluate what we have done or what kind of health service are we delivering to our people. If we are doing well, then there is no need to be agitated if someone visits a hospital,” said Fr Kaliminwa.

Recently, Northern Province minister John Chinyanta strongly criticised Sata for visiting patients who were spending nights on the floor due to lack of beds in Mbala and Mpulungu districts.

Chinyanta said Sata had no right to visit the hospital without permission from hospital authorities.

Labels: HEALTHCARE, NICHOLAS KALIMINWA

posted by MrK @ 4:45 PM