.Chilufya

By CATHERINE NYIRENDA –

HEALTH Deputy Minister Chitalu Chilufya has directed Southern Province medical officials to immediately upgrade Chikuni Mission Health Centre into a first level referral hospital.
Dr Chilufya was impressed with the health facilities at the health centre and directed that it should be recognised as a referral hospital and more staff should be posted to increase personnel.
“Chikuni Health Centre has adequate infrastructure and equipment to provide services as a first level hospital, upgrade the grant to the hospital and beef up staff to this centre,” Dr Chilufya said.
Dr Chilufya said this in Monze yesterday when he toured the health centre to check on infrastructure, human resource and the availability of drugs.
He said Chikuni Health Centre once upgraded would help decongest Monze Mission Hospital which is a second level hospital in service delivery to the people in Monze and surrounding areas.
The health centre has a bed capacity of 108, a modern laboratory, a maternity ward, two operating theatres, among other modern facilities.
Health centre acting director Bert Otten commended Government for upgrading the health post and that additional medical personnel and increased grant would be highly appreciated.
Father Otten also commended the hard working staff for their dedicated service to the people that had made it possible for the hospital to be recognised as first level.
He appealed to Government to consider working on the road to the hospital which was in a deplorable state and improve access to communication.
Meanwhile, construction of the phase one K11.5 million Gwembe District Hospital would be completed next month.
Dr Chilufya said once the hospital was completed, it would provide services to more than 62, 000 people in the area and that patients would not be referred to Monze Mission Hospital.
The construction of the hospital started in September last year, with the contractor finalising the works.