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Ministry of Health Deputy Minister Christopher Mulenga has attributed the high rate of people’s dependence on drugs to bad attitude towards nutrition.
Mr Mulenga, who yesterday was in Kaoma to check on infrastructure and pharmaceutical services in the district, said most people are sick because of poor diet which weakens their immune system.
He said government has continued to spend billions of Kwacha on buying medicines for diseases that can be avoided by maintaining a good diet.
The health deputy minister said it is sad that people have opted to eating junkie foods leaving out healthy food which strengthens their immune system.
He said it is not good for people to always depend on drugs as the body is meant in such a way that it provides for its own defence mechanism that works against diseases that can be achieved by eating healthy foods.
Mr Mulenga has, however, called on all Zambians to embrace a culture of food security in order to have good health.
He said his ministry will soon be working with the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock in finding out how they can collaborate and reduce malnutrition in the country.
Mr Mulenga said it is sad that contractors that government entrusted with the distribution of fertilizer to the farmers have proved to be failing, posing a risk on food insecurity and health system in the country.
He said the Ministry of Health is concerned with the food security in the country, adding that if people do not have enough and good food, the ministry is likely to be inundated with patients as a result of hunger.
Meanwhile, Mr Mulenga has bemoaned the high rate of family-patient- nurse conflict which he attributed to low staffing levels in some hospitals and health centres.
He said it is sad to hear of nurses and doctors being beaten on duty for alleged delays in attending to patients and yet the reason for delays is due to inadequacy of staff to attend to patients in a quicker manner.
Mr Mulenga has, however, challenged the Kaoma district health personnel to control their temper and avoid being in conflict with patients but table their concerns with the government at all times.
He said it is against this background that government has embarked of the decentralization policy to decongest the already existing hospitals.
He said the construction of new district hospitals is meant to also reduce the distance that patients have been walking to access medical services.
