IT IS pleasing to note that the Government has taken the delivery of quality healthcare services to the people of Zambia seriously.
Several projects have been embarked upon to ensure that every Zambian has access to quality healthcare services to preserve human life.
Notable among these projects is the on-going construction of 650 health posts countrywide, earmarked for completion in 2016.
The total cost of this project is US$55.9 million, of which $50 million is funded by the Indian line of credit to the Government of Zambia, whilst $5.9 million is funded by the Zambian Government.
Constructors are already on site and so far, reports received indicate that the programme is progressing well but expected to gain momentum after the rainy season.
It is heartening to note that once this project is completed, it will ultimately increase access to health services for people in rural areas who have found it a challenge to access healthcare in the past.
People in most rural parts of Zambia are living in hard to reach areas, thus taking the rural health posts closer to them is a plus.
The building of the health posts will ultimately contribute to the equitable access to cost effective, quality healthcare by Zambia as close to the family as possible.
Apart from this, it has also been announced that all the health posts will be equipped with modern health facilities such as incinerators, solar panel, sanitation facility and staff houses.
This means that people with various ailments will be able to access treatment even without visiting a third or second level hospital in the urban areas.
As the project is taking shape ahead of completions, there is need for the Government to ensure that the prerequisites are put in place prior to the health centers’ commencing operations.
Government should ensure that adequate health staff is trained to go and take up positions in the health centers once they open for public service.
The medical stores should also stock enough drugs to circulate in these centers so that patients do not have to suffer the burden of buying drugs at any cost.
Another milestone in the health sector has been the ongoing of upgrading hospitals across all levels, as this has led to health institutions being equipped with additional equipment to enhance service delivery.
Recently, Ndola Central Hospital received a Computerised Tomography (CT) scanner that was procured by the Government and installed at a cost of K6 million.
Other first level hospitals in the country have also been equipped with similar or other forms of equipment and this is a plus for the country.
It should also be noted that recently the Government and the World Bank Group signed a funding agreement worth US$67 million aimed at improving healthcare delivery and utilisation of maternal, newborn, child health and nutrition services in five provinces.
These are Western, North-Western, Northern, Muchinga and Luapula.
The objective of this project is to support the Government to reduce geographical and income-related inequalities in accessing health services in hard-to reach areas, with the special target being women and children.
The project has three key result-driven components focusing on training for nursing and midwifery to strengthen maternal, newborn and child health and nutrition.
It also enshrines the improvement of the the supply chain system for essential commodities and strengthen the referral system such as community level service delivery.
This will ultimately result in increased availability of health and nutrition commodities and skilled manpower.
The project and many others will contribute greatly to the health service provision in the country and the under-served and poorer provinces in particular.
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