Maravi

Mobile hospitals a national disaster - Dr Katema

Mobile hospitals a national disaster - Dr Katema
By Kombe Chimpinde
Tue 24 May 2011, 04:01 CAT

THE government’s decision to run mobile hospitals alongside the already existing static health facilities in the country is a self-created national disaster, according to a PF member of parliament.

Dr Joseph Katema, the Chingola member of parliament, said it was shameful for President Rupiah Banda and his team to embark on running mobile hospitals without carrying out an assessment of their viability as evidenced by the supplementary budget of K21.6 billion.

“It’s very shameful that the government can embark on a decision that came after President Banda’s visit to China, a programme that was not budgeted for, a plan that is not indicated in any of the country’s national strategic plans.

This shows lack of vision and plan for the health sector by this government,” said Dr Katema in an interview.

He said the government had diverted from the country’s national strategic plan, which seeks to focus on primary health care as a basis for improving lives in Zambia.

Dr Katema wondered how a proper referral system, which was mainly done between clinics and district hospitals, would be undertaken under the mobile health services.

“In an ideal health system a person should know that when I walk to point A or B, where they are then treated or referred depends on the degree of sickness. But now we have seen a shortcut where we have the whole “UTH” which moves from village to village. It does not work out like that.

It is very clear from the explanations that we are getting that the government does not know how these hospitals will operate,” Dr Katema said. “This is why you see cooperating partners shifting ways from us. You must realise that a huge chunk of money that is injected in the health sector comes from cooperating partners.”

He said the procurement of mobile hospitals was aimed at appeasing people in rural areas ahead of elections at the expense urgent and pressing problems in the health sector.

Dr Katema advised President Banda and his government to desist from politicising the health sector as it was very critical to the lives of the citizens.

The government procured mobile hospitals using a US$53 million loan acquired from China. Recently, government approved a K21.6 billion supplementary budget which would go towards the operation costs of the said hospitals this year.

Labels: JOSEPH KATEMA, MOBILE HOSPITALS

posted by MrK @ 5:37 PM