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THE upgrading of Solwezi General Hospital to a modern health institution is almost complete after First Quantum Minerals (FQM) pumped in KR12 million into the project.
So far the construction of the first-ever high cost ward with bed capacity of 24 is complete including the new administration blocks.
Other areas that are being attended to include the theatre and the emergency deportation spot where an ambulance can stop during emergency cases.
Hospital medical superintendent Matthew Ng’ambi told the Times health news that the goodwill that the hospital has received from the mining giant would help the hospital improve its public health care delivery.
Dr Ng’ambi said the hospital had several challenges among them limited bed spaces to accommodate patients with various ailments.
The hospital only had six wards, adding that this was not enough to accommodate the patients.
For example, the children wing which had 70 children had some of them sleeping on the floor.
“The place is congested and sometimes we have 160 people because children always have guardians and parents on their bedside,” he said.
He said the hospital was receiving a grant of KR 2,019 which was not enough compared to other hospitals in the country.
“The grant is not enough to carter for the needs of the hospital. We need to buy food, pay bills and buy medicine,” Dr Ng’ambi.
And FQM’s health projects and programmes adviser Gertrude Musunka said the construction of the high cost ward hospital would help the institution financially as the money raised would be used to maintain the facility.
“A new administration has been built. This will give a new face to the hospital,” she said.
Ultimately, the up-grading of the Solwezi General Hospital would help to decongest the over-crowded health institution.
