•TROPICAL Diseases Research Centre director Modest Mulenga (right) explains the functions of ward equipment to Health Deputy Minister Chitalu Chilufya (third from left), who toured the institution in Ndola yesterday. Picture by JAMES KUNDA

By JAMES KUNDA –
GOVERNMENT has prioritised human resource development in the health sector to mitigate the deficiency in trained personnel providing services at lower level hospitals in Zambia.
Health Deputy Minister Chitalu Chilufya said training of additional health staff was critical to bridging the gap between society and access to quality primary healthcare services.
Dr Chilufya said this when he met management from the Copperbelt University (CBU) School of Medicine at Ndola Central Hospital yesterday.
“Human resource development is critical in the provision of quality primary healthcare services and Government is aware of this, which is why we continue to invest in training and expansion of infrastructure in lower level hospitals to enhance service delivery,” he said.
It was the view of Government that the training of more doctors and nurses would address the shortage of staff in the primary healthcare system.
“Our focus on primary healthcare is to ensure that people are trained to handle all health cases affecting the domestic family who often trek to the district hospitals. It is therefore a way one ensuring that our people are healthy and productive,” he said.
Meanwhile, CBU vice chancellor Naison Ngoma said management had prioritised recruitment of qualified staff to tutor students with the basic knowledge about primary healthcare delivery.
“It is critical that teaching staff in this institution are well qualified to avail knowledge about primary healthcare delivery and management will leave no stone unturned to ensure that this is achieved,” he said.
Dr Chilufya later toured the Tropical Disease Research Centre (TDRC) where he emphasised the need for specialised research in detecting the spread of tropical diseases.
“This institution is critical in providing research to detect diseases and Government is happy with the services it is contributing to ensure that Zambia is a hub for disease control in the Southern part of Africa,” he noted.
TDRC director Modest Mulenga said the institution was adopting improved modes of research to ensure that prompt service delivery.