A village headman of Chifuwe East has appealed to government to immediately send a qualified medical doctor to Kasamba hospital in the newly created Manyinga district in North-western province.
In an interview with ZANIS, Dickson Chitochi said Kasamba hospital, which was built in 1973, has developed cracks and are threatening lives of patients admitted to its wards as the walls may collapse.
Mr Chitochi said there is need for government to renovate the only government hospital which is about 68 km away from Kabompo district hospital.
He further said the hospital needed the services of an ambulance for serious patients and expectant mothers who cover long distances when referred to either Loloma Mission Hospital or Kabompo district hospital.
Mr Chitochi complained that the four health workers at the health institution were working under difficult conditions as the hospital does not have electricity, forcing them to use mobile phones or candles for lighting whenever conducting deliveries in the night.
He said if government, through the Ministry of Health does not intervene, the catchment area of over 8,000 human population that receive or access medical services at the hospital would be greatly affected.
Mr Chitochi said at the moment the hospital has run out of basic essential drugs that were last received in March, 2014, forcing patients to buy their own medicines from a near-by drug store in the area.
He said the hospital, which services the communities of Chipanda, Kasoka, Mukundwiji, Chifuwe East, Mukondoloki, Chitapaloba and Pangwa should be assisted by government so that the fruits of the Patriotic Front government are felt by the people in the area.
And a local businessman, Kenny Ndumba, has donated ten blankets to the children’s ward of Kasamba hospital.
Mr Ndumba said he was prompted to make thedonation to the ward because of the cold season which was around the corner.
He promised to make bigger donations in future when there will a boom in his various business ventures.
And receiving the donation, Kasamba hospital in-charge, Musachi Muchindu, requested other business houses in and outside the area to emulate the gesture.