. Dr Kasonde
By KAIKO NAMUSA and CHILA NAMAIKO –
GOVERNMENT is determined to cut down on referring medical complications abroad by ensuring referral hospitals in Zambia are modernised, Health Minister Joseph Kasonde has said.
Dr Kasonde, who understood the basis of concerns from some sections of society over the costs involved in evacuating patients abroad, called for sober reflection and consideration of what leads to authorities to take make such decisions.
This contained in a statement by Press secretary at the Zambian High Commission in South Africa, Nicky Shabolyo.
The Minister was in South Africa for a meeting with a Medical Services Organisation (MSO) who had been facilitating the evacuation of Zambians to South Africa over the last 10 years.
Dr Kasonde said Government had devised a three-pronged approach under the modernisation of health facilities plan which would see the improvement of medical infrastructure, installation of advanced medical equipment and the training of medical personnel to handle specialist cases.
He said Government was expediting the process and had so far made positive progress in acquiring some pieces of specialised equipment and embarked on extensive infrastructure development at a number of hospitals including Lusaka’s University Teaching Hospital.
“I agree with those raising concern because it is an expensive venture to send patients outside the country. But let me say that people should also understand that we have started off in the direction of bringing that to an end.
“They should also realise that there are three elements to this with the first being infrastructure development, secondly acquisition of equipment and the third being the need for specialists. The first two are easier and quicker to implement but they will be useless without the right human capital in place,” Dr Kasonde said.
Dr Kasonde was in South Africa for a meeting with Medical Services Organisation (MSO) who had been facilitating the evacuation of Zambians to South Africa over the last 10 years.
He said Government had also started training Zambian specialists to handle heart, kidney, diabetes and other complicated cases.
He said one Zambian had already finished training as a cardiologist while others specialising in procedures such as kidney transplant were yet to graduate.
He said a lot of progress had been made in equipping referral hospitals with CT Scans having been acquired for Lusaka and Kitwe. A CT Scan is an advanced form of x-ray which is used to diagnose medical complications. A Magnetic Resonance Imaging machine and a Cathlab have been fitted in Lusaka. Both facilities were also used in medical diagnosis.
He said the country had also been relying on doctors from Apollo, a group of hospitals from India, who had been sending their medical specialists to Zambia. This had contributed to reducing on the number of cases requiring evacuation abroad.
The Minister later took time off to visit President Sata’s son, Kazimu, and other Zambian patients admitted to Milpark Hospital in Johannesburg.
Meanwhile, Dr Kasonde has said Government has stepped up surveillance of the deadly Ebola disease by closely monitoring all major points of entry countrywide.
Speaking at a press briefing in Lusaka yesterday, Dr Kasonde said Government had since identified isolation facilities in the points of entry with adequate response team to tackle any suspected outbreak of Ebola.
Dr Kasonde said the response team had also visited each of the points of entry and trained personnel in the response for the suspected or confirmed case of Ebola.
