Government to modernise hospitals

The government has embarked on an ambitious programme of modernising all hospitals in the country to enhance provision of quality health care.

Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary, Dr Peter Mwaba said government is investing heavily in health infrastructure and will turn the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) into a super speciality centre while Livingstone, Ndola and Kitwe General Hospitals will be upgrade.

Director of Mobile and Emergency Health Services Gardner Syakantu who spoke on behalf of Dr Mwaba at the University of Zambia School of Medicine 2013 prize giving ceremony held at Ridgeway Campus announced that government has also procured high technological equipment for the four major hospitals in excess of US$5 million.

Dr Syakantu disclosed that government has for the first time in Zambia procured a Cardiac Catherisation Lab equipment to manage heart problems and neural conditions and hoped that the procured equipment will help reduce referral cases for treatment abroad.

He also said in addition to the two CT Scanners available at Cancer Diseases and Levy Mwanawasa Hospitals, Livingstone, Ndola , Kitwe and UTH will also receive Computerised Tomography Scanners to improve diagnostic, treatment and intervention measures.

Dr Syakantu said the government has made available adequate funds to improve health care and the ministry of health is working hard to also ensure that lower hospitals and health centres are upgraded to improve health service delivery.

He revealed that the ministry is grappling with questionable practices in a significant number of cases and urged the University of Zambia Faculty to provide and scale up the right training for those joining the service.

And the University of Zambia Deputy Vice Chancellor Professor Mutale Chanda commended the School of Medicine for reintroducing the awards ceremony and hoped that it will encourage students to excel in their studies.