Low staff levels worry East Minister

Low staff levels worry East Minister

Chipata, February 10, 2014, ZANIS… Eastern Province Minister Malozo Sichone has directed health authorities at Chizenje rural health centre to improve the staff levels at the institution.

The Minister who visited the health centre situated in Chief Mazimawe’s area in Chipata district has directed Chipata district community medical officer to immediately send a midwife to Chizenje to reduce pressure on the male nurse manning the institution.

Mr Sichone stated that the nurse is overwhelmed by work at the centre hence the need for the district office to quickly send a midwife to assist in birth deliveries at the centre.

He was speaking when he visited the centre yesterday.

Mr. Sichone said servicing a population of over 16,000 where five deliveries are done in a day was a huge task for a single person.

“I commend the young man who besides helping mothers to deliver also handles other administrative issues single handedly”, said Mr Sichone.

Mr. Sichone said issues of accommodation should not be a barrier to servicing the people in the area adding that there is need to improvise with just room considering that the situation is urgent.

The Minister said the policy of the Patriotic Front (PF) government is to take services closer to the people in rural areas as it is a pro-poor government which is in a hurry to change the lives of the poor especially those in rural areas.

And the District Community Medical Officer Davies Simwaba said the establishment at the centre allows for a midwife to be sent but the only drawback was accommodation because there were only three houses which already accommodates the nurse, an Environmental Health Technologist  and one support staff.

Dr Simwaba said his office will look into the matter so that a midwife is sent to the institution once accommodation is made available at the centre.

And Dr Simwaba  said currently there are only 17 Clinical Officers against 47 health centres in Chipata district adding that when more are sent to the area Chizenje RHC will benefit.

Dr Simwaba also said that government will construct six health centres in Luangeni, Chipangali and Chipata central constituencies in Chipata district.

He said Kasenengwa constituency was not among the beneficiaries but is hopeful that in the allocation of 2015 the constituency will be given some health posts.

He was responding to concerns raised by villagers at a developmental meeting addressed by Eastern province Minsiter Malozo Sichone  at Kamuna School in Chief Madzimawe’s area.

One of the villagers Gastone Phiri said there is need to build a health Post in the area surrounded by five villages with a population of 4,982 to decongest Chizenje rural health centre.

He named the villages as M’pangananji, Kango’mbe, Mwanza, Mlozi and Kabalika.