By JULIUS PHIRI? –
EASTERN Province medical officer Kennedy Malama has castigated some hospitals in the province for not holding their routine clinical preparedness meetings on Ebola.
Dr Malama said it was unfortunate that some hospitals had not taken Ebola serious by holding clinical preparedness meetings.
He said at the second quarter of the 2014 provincial integrated technical review meeting (PIM) held in Chipata yesterday that some heads of institution and districts risked being surcharged for not holding clinical meetings on Ebola which had been declared as a global emergency.
Dr Malama said it was a serious offence that some hospitals were not holding clinical meetings on Ebola.
“Yesterday (Monday), I was being told that some hospitals have not yet taken Ebola seriously by holding clinical meetings and if that is true the head of that institution and district risk being surcharged for negligence,” he said.
He said all health personnel must acquaint themselves with the threat of Ebola which had killed more than 3000 people in West Africa since the disease broke out?Dr Malama also announced that the province would receive four mortuary units which would benefit Minga and Nyanje hospitals in Petauke District, Nyimba hospital in Nyimba District and a cold room facility at Chipata General Hospital.
He said people should put in place measures to prevent cholera and typhoid in readiness for the onset of the rainy season.
Dr Malama said the province was likely to receive more staff from the recently graduated nurses.
He said he was aware that some districts were lacking staff saying the deployment of the nurses would assist to cushion the shortage.
Dr Malama also disclosed that seven out of 57 health posts have started in Chipata, Mambwe and Vubwi districts respectively.
He said there was urgent need for the technocrats such as district medical officers to be deployed in the province to help explain the realignment and decentralisation with the ministry of community development, mother and child health.
He said there was also a decline in the maternal health in the province.