Ndola biomedical lecturers warn of ‘desperate’ MMD

Ndola biomedical lecturers warn of ‘desperate’ MMD
By Abigail Chaponda in Ndola
Sun 17 Apr. 2011, 03:59 CAT

SOME lecturers at Ndola College of Biomedical Sciences have cautioned Zam-bians to be careful with the MMD government, saying it is desperate and can do anything to be voted back into power.

The lecturers, in the company of some of their students stormed The Post office in Ndola and disclosed that they had received a letter indicating that President Rupiah Banda would inaugurate the new medical school at Ndola Central Hospital on April 28, 2011.

“We received a letter that the President will inaugurate the new medical school on the 28th of April. But the truth of the matter is that President Banda wants to use the opening of the medical school as a campaign gimmick so that he can solicit for votes,” said one of the lecturers who did not want to be named.

“Why didn’t the government build a new medical school? Why do they want to grab the biomedical school? Why are they in a hurry to open one? This means they are running out of time and will do anything to stay in power.”

The lecturers said medical students would start arriving at the College of Biomedical Sciences next week. The lecturer accused the MMD government of being irresponsible and causing unnecessary problems in the country.

“The issue here is that the medical students and the biomedical students will share the facilities, but the problem is that the facilities can only accommodate a certain number of people. It is true that some rooms have been locked and reserved for medical students. 50 medical students will be accommodated at the college,” he said.

He said the only biomedical lecture theatre had also been given to the new medical students, leaving the biomedical students without one.

The lecturer said the hospital library had been given to the new medical school and that some offices at Tropical Disease Research Centre (DTRC) have been surrendered to the school.

The government has decided to convert the Ndola College of Biomedical Sciences into a medical school.

PF Mwansabombwe member of parliament Samuel Chitonge last week urged the government not to tamper with the college and instead find its own money to build a medical school.

Chitonge said laboratories were very important to healthcare delivery and there was no health facility that could function without a laboratory department.