By STEVEN ZANDE –

.Wina

VICE-PRESIDENT Inonge Wina has said children are a blessing from God, hence parents should nurture their families so that the young ones can grow into responsible adults who can contribute to national development.
Ms Wina said parents had a responsibility to create a loving and peaceful environment where their children could develop into dependable citizens who would help foster development in the country.
“In so doing I wish to remind the parents that these children are a blessing from God,” the Vice-president said. “Nurture them so that they can contribute to national development.”
She said this yesterday at the Levy University Teaching Hospital where, in the company of Health Minister Chitalu Chilufya, she gave Christmas hampers to nine newly-born babies.
Ms Wina said parental guidance was crucial to developing a nation of capable citizens who would take up leadership from their predecessors, thereby helping sustain peace, unity and development in the nation.
She implored parents to help promote peace in the country because a peaceful environment was vital to facilitating proper child growth.
Ms Wina urged Zambians to be responsible in their conduct during the festive season, adding that this could be achieved by people observing moderation in the celebrations.
The Vice-President said the contractor working on the National Health Training Institute (NHTI) should expedite works on the facility to help the country train more staff, especially pathologists who were in short supply in health facilities dotted around country.
Dr Chilufya said the Government under President Edgar Lungu meant business and would continue working to improve the state of health facilities in the country in efforts to achieve universal access to quality healthcare.
Levy Hospital senior superintendent Laston Chikoya said hospital operations were running smoothly despite incidents of congestion due to the high number of patients coming to seek medical attention at the facility.