By CLEVER ZULU –

THE contractor to build district offices at the newly-created Luano district has been selected, District Commissioner Christopher Chibuye has said.

Mr Chibuye said the contractor was awarded the contract last week and he is now mobilising.

“The contract was awarded to a contractor last week but in the meantime, we are building an office block to prepare for the onset of the rains,” he said.

The DC said a post office, 20 low cost houses, 10 medium cost houses, a VIP house and an administrative office block will be constructed once the contractor moves on site.

Mr Chibuye was speaking to journalists when Health Deputy Minister Chitalu Chilufya paid a courtesy visit on him at his makeshift office in a tent.

The DC has also appealed to the Government to give Luano district one drilling rig to drill boreholes because the district has no clean water.

“We have submitted a layout plan to the ministry of Lands. The documentation was submitted and now we intend to advertise for plots,” he said.

Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation (ZESCO) is also expected to connect Luano to the national grid by the end of the year.

Meanwhile, Dr Chilufya has said Government will construct a district hospital in Luano in a quest to provide quality health care services to people in all parts of the country.

“We are building four health posts and in 2015 we will build a district hospital in Luano district,” he said.

Dr Chilufya said the decision for Government to create the new Luano district was meant to bring development closer to people, hence the need to build a hospital in the area as Mkushi district hospital is far away from Luano.

“Under the 650 health posts currently under construction in the country, 60 will be constructed in Central province, while Luano district will receive four,” he added.

The deputy minister was speaking in Luano valley at Old Mkushi school grounds when he launched the Central province mobile health services golden jubilee on Tuesday.

The ministry launched the Medical Jubilee 2014 project to provide critical and essential medical services to the underprivileged throughout the country.

“The Ministry of Health has lined up a number of health activities that include specialised treatment for complicated cases in order to put a smile on patient’s faces as a gift for the country’s jubilee celebration,” he said.

Head of the Central province mobile health unit Beatrice Kafulubita said 437 patients were seen within the first two days that the hospital was set up.

Mary Miyanda, an eye specialist, said she saw 72 patients with 32 receiving a pair of glasses which are subsidised at K20 but those that could not afford were given for free.

Chief Chikupila of Luano thanked the Government for the plan to build a hospital in the district as well as bringing in the mobile hospital.