Maravi

Mobile hospitals a gigantic blunder - Prof Kyambalesa

Mobile hospitals a gigantic blunder - Prof Kyambalesa
By Misheck Wangwe in Kitwe
Thu 05 May 2011, 04:00 CAT

THE purchase of mobile hospitals has been recorded in the country’s history as a gigantic policy blunder of President Rupiah Banda, says Professor Henry Kyambalesa.

In a statement, Prof Kyambalesa, A US-based Zambian academician at Denver University said the revelations that each mobile hospital which consists of seven trucks would gobble K450 million per trip was unacceptable. He said every well-meaning Zambian should condemn the wasteful and irresponsible exercise President Banda was making.

Prof Kyambalesa said the mobile hospitals were only ideal for a country that was at war adding that for Zambia, it was a luxury that should not be tolerated. He said there was no doubt that the procurement of such temporary facilities was going to be the most conspicuous case of misapplication of resources by President Banda’s government.

“It is a clear case of misplaced priorities. Sooner or later, the President and all members of his inner circle will be crossing national borders for medical treatment or check-ups after wasting the US $53 million on mobile hospitals and President Banda and the MMD want to continue to rule Zambia beyond 2011 after committing the country to such kinds of loans, appropriated on worthless projects? This is unacceptable,” Prof Kyambalesa said.

He said the information that each mobile hospital, which consists of seven trucks, will require more than 36 personnel per visit of two weeks in any given rural area, including medical doctors, nurses, clinicians, laboratory staff, surgeons, pharmacists, and support staff and that K450 million would be spent on each mobile clinic as allowances made sad reading. Prof Kyambalesa said the US$53 million loan would have made sense if it was secured to cater for the provision of free healthcare for all Zambians through the construction of more permanent health care facilities nationwide.

He said the people expected the government to prioritise provision of adequate medicines, medical equipment and ambulances for the majority poor in rural areas and not mobile hospitals. Prof Kyambalesa said the country was also in need of money to finance research designed to find cures for HIV/AIDS, cancer, tuberculosis, and other deadly diseases and the retention of trained of health personnel.

Labels: HEALTHCARE, HENRY KYAMBALESA, MOBILE HOSPITALS

posted by MrK @ 2:02 PM