By MOFFAT CHAZINGWA –
THE Government has given Kitwe Central Hospital (KCH) equipment for eye healthcare worth US$1 million (K12 million).
The equipment, which has already been delivered to the institution, includes two operating microscopes, two visual field machines, one rectum machine, three laser machines, four slit lumps, an AB scan machine, one operating table and three Ophthalmoscopes, among others.

. Kasonde

Health Minister Joseph Kasonde, who launched the equipment during the World Sight Day commemoration held at KCH at the weekend, assured of Government’s commitment to addressing challenges of vital equipment to all health institutions in the country.
Dr Kasonde said in a speech read for him by Copperbelt Permanent Secretary Howard Sikwela that the move to equip KCH and all other health institutions countrywide was in accordance with Government’s quest to enhance quality eye healthcare for the people.
“Government has this year procured numerous ophthalmic equipment worth thousands of Kwacha and has distributed this vital equipment to almost all hospitals and health centres in the country,” Dr Kasonde said.
The minister had no doubt that the l equipment would go a long way in helping improve the quality of care at the hospital.
He implored the hospital management to ensure that the equipment was well taken care of and used for the intended purpose.
Dr Kasonde was particularly pleased that KCH had started offering specialised eye care services to children and had established a childhood health tertiary facility.
He was confident that the programme would benefit children as deliberate efforts would be made by medical staff at the hospital to ensure that children received high quality eye health services.
“Saving a child’s sight has much more impact than saving the sight of an elderly person as a blind child has many more blind years than an adult,” he said.
This year’s World Sight Day was held under the theme ‘Eye healthcare for all’.
Provincial medical officer Consity Mwale said the eye health sector on the Copperbelt had made tremendous progress ranging from partnership, infrastructure development and equipment procurement to service delivery in a clean, competent and caring environment.
Dr Mwale said Copperbelt had fully implemented the national health strategic plan with regard to eye health in the province.