The Government is set to roll out 150 ambulances procured through United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) support to health facilities across the country.
Health Permanent Secretary for Technical Services Kennedy Lishimpi said the new fleet would soon be distributed to strengthen emergency response and improve access to referral services, particularly in rural and hard-to-reach areas.
Dr Lishimpi said the ambulances were part of the Government’s commitment to strengthening primary healthcare and ensuring that no patient was left behind due to lack of transport.
“The ambulances are not separate from the vision we are launching. They are a practical investment in making this vision a reality,” he said.
He was speaking in Lusaka yesterday during the launch of the Integrated Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent Health and Nutrition Outreach Services Package (RMNCAH-N).
Dr Lishimpi said the new framework was anchored on three principles: every pregnancy should be wanted, no woman should die while giving birth, and every child should have an opportunity to survive and thrive.
He said the framework would address maternal, neonatal, infant and child mortality while integrating reproductive health, maternal health, newborn care, child health, nutrition, immunisation and adolescent health services.
Dr Lishimpi said outreach services had previously been run as programme-specific initiatives involving separate planning, multiple visits and fragmented reporting, placing unnecessary pressure on frontline health workers.
