•WORKERS busy at work on one of the Link Zambia 8000 road projects.

By GETHSEMANE MWIZABI –

WHEN late President Michael Sata started launching massive road construction and rehabilitation projects, some critics questioned the rationale behind without realising the interrelationship between good roads and primary health care.
The link between a good road network and provision of quality primary health care are inseparable and cannot be over emphasised.
Good roads reduce the distance between people, markets, goods and services or getting people connected.
Although, virtual connectivity has become increasingly important today, with the emergence of new communication avenues, but a good and reliable transport network remains vital.
During emergencies such as accidents, injured persons can be rushed immediately to a hospital through a good system of roads.
During floods or droughts, the basic commodities can be efficiently rushed from the other parts of the country through a good road network.
A good roads network also serves as a feeder line for other modes of transport thus helps indirectly in their development.
A road network plays a vital role in the efficient functioning of the country’s defence force.
It is because of such factors that Mr Sata stood his ground and went ahead to ensure that roads construction and rehabilitaion were given a priority in the Government’s development agenda.
A man of action, as he was often referred to, his robust infrastructure programmes, immediately after assuming office in 2011, were meant to improve the livelihood of the Zambian people.
There is no doubt that adequate provision of and access to primary health care services that are necessary for human survival and wellbeing depends on complex inter-sectoral linkages to which transport makes essential contributions.
Being a former minister of health, in the MMD government under the Frederick Chiluba regime, Mr Sata had always been driven by an ever present passion to improve the health care delivery system especially for the common man; one who is always on the sidelines of society.
He was not just a minister of health, but a very pragmatic and candid human being, His glass shattering health reforms, were plain for all to see.
Even when, he was in opposition he continued singing the same song, right until the time of his demise.
When he became president, he prioritised infrastructure development as a very important aspect of development, especially for health.
He understood that the transport sector affected the availability of both preventive and emergency care, potentially affecting service delivery rates.
There is no doubt that transport is essential for the distribution of drugs, blood and other supplies to health facilities.
It enables the timely transfer of patients between health facilities and to the different levels of care of health referral systems.
Efficient transport systems and roads also facilitate access by health workers to often sparsely populate rural areas as well as the necessary monitoring and supervision of health services and initiatives.
Distance combined with poor road access and lack of transport constitutes a considerable challenge for health access in developing countries.
A quality health care delivery system could only happen with good roads, which the Mr Sata was restless to make Zambia land-linked for easy access.
As he put it in his last address to the National Assembly, “access to quality health services by all our people remains the cornerstone of this Government’s health policy”.
Yes in line with that policy, Government has continued to increase availability of health frontline staff, health infrastructure, drugs and other medical supplies and equipment.
To mitigate the shortage of skilled health personnel, Government has been rehabilitating and constructing training institutions.
To this effect, two new training institutions are under construction in Senanga and Lusaka at Levy Mwanawasa General Hospital.
In addition, 27 health training institutions country-wide are under rehabilitation and expansion. These works, when completed, will increase the health institution training capacity by 4,500 students bringing the total to 10,000. This includes the 3,000 student capacity health training facility at Levy Mwanawasa General Hospital.
The construction of the 650 health posts has started and is expected to be completed by 2016. In the area of district hospitals, Government has since 2011 commissioned five district hospitals in Lufwanyama, Chadiza, Chiengi, Nakonde and Shangombo.
In addition, 30 district hospitals are under construction in various parts of the country. By the end of this year, Government will embark on the construction of an additional eight district hospitals in Mafinga, Ikelenge, Nalolo, Limulunga, Vubwi, Mansa, Mufulira and Chilubi.
Further, it was Mr Sata’s vision to implement the modernisation and upgrading programme aimed at improving the quality of health care and reducing referrals abroad.
Apart from the new construction works, Government has procured and installed modern and specialised medical equipment at the University Teaching Hospital, Kitwe and Ndola Central hospitals, and Livingstone General Hospital.
Further, construction of infrastructure started in five of districts, including the upgrading of infrastructure in Choma and Chinsali as new provincial headquarters of southern and muchinga provinces respectively, while construction of district offices and other infrastructure in the remaining 27 districts will commence before the end of the year.
Under his leadership, Government continued implementing the rural electrification programme which is now mainly focusing on new districts.
In this regard, Sioma and Nkeyema in Western Province have already been electrified while works to connect Nalolo, Luampa and Sikongo are on-going. Government also plans to connect other areas to the national grid. These include Shangombo, Luangwa, Rufunsa, Chama and Lundazi districts, which are currently supplied by diesel generated power.
On the road infrastructure, specifically, as man of action, he continued to place great importance on roads infrastructure development.
Progress is being made on all major road projects such as Link Zambia 8000, Pave Zambia 2000 and Lusaka 400.
The Link Zambia 8000 project is progressing well with 22 works contracts signed as of july 2014, covering 2,245 kilometers.
The major road projects included Leopards Hill Road to Chirundu in Lusaka Province and the Kitwe to Chingola dual carriageway on the Copperbelt.
Other works include the bottom road in Southern Province, Mongu-Kalabo in Western Province, Itezhi-tezhi-’Mumbwa in Central Province, Chipata-Chadiza-katete in Eastern Province, Kawambwa-Mushota in Luapula Province, Chingola-Solwezi Road and the Mbala-Nakonde Road.
Completed roads include Kasama-Luwingu in Northern Province, Sesheke-Senenga in Western Province and Mutanda-Chavuma in North-Western Province.
Under pave Zambia 2000, distribution of equipment has been completed in all the 10 provinces. The Lusaka 400 project involving construction, maintenance, rehabilitation and upgrading of roads around the city is still in full gear.
Ultimately, infrastructure and quality health care are linked. This was Sata’s vision. May his soul rest in peace.