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Deputy Minister of agriculture and Livestock Greyford Monde has bemoaned the acute shortage of trained health workers in remote parts of Itezhi Tezhi district.
Mr. Monde who is also the UPND Itezhi tezhi area Member of Parliament visited Mbila Rural Health Centre in Itezhi tezhi district which is being run by unqualified personnel.
He expressed concern that people in Mbila were finding it very difficult to access quality health services as the rural health centre was being run by a classified daily employee (CDE) .
Meanwhile, Mr. Monde has disclosed that Itezhi tezhi district in central province is among the districts to benefit from the construction of 650 health posts by government countrywide.
Mr. Monde revealed that eight (8) health posts will be built in Itezhi tezhi district out of the total 650 planned to be built across the country.
“Itezhi tezhi district has been allocated 8 health posts and 3 of these health posts will be built in Mbila ward namely in Shambala, Kasangala and Kakuse” The Minister said.
Recently, Finance Minister, Alexander Chikwanda announced that Zambia had acquired a $50 million credit line from EXIM Bank of India for the construction of 650 rural health posts across the country.
He indicated that the rural treatment centres would be spread in all the districts of the 10 provinces of Zambia in consistence with Government’s aspirations for focused and accelerated infrastructure development.
And Itezhi Tezhi Acting District Medical officer Dr Crispin Bobwa said that the Problem of lack of qualified personnel in rural areas was compounded by some high ranking government officials who give orders to have their relatives transferred back to Lusaka.
“ we have a big problem in this area in the sense that we receive trained staff but they are related to some high ranking government officials who directly phone us to have their relatives transferred to Lusaka leaving rural areas vacant” Dr Bobwa said.
Dr Bobwa said that the Mbila Rural health centre has decent and adequate accommodation for staff but the problem of some staff not wanting to stay in rural areas is a major challenge.
He further said there was need to put to an end to this system as it is detrimental to the government’s desire to have trained staff in all health centres country wide.
