• First Lady Esther Lungu talks to Jesica Mwape (l), one of the mother’s to newly born babies on Christmas Day at the University Teaching Hospital, where she presented Christmas gifts to the newly born babies. Picture by THOMAS NSAMA.

By CHUSA SICHONE –
FIRST Lady Esther Lungu has challenged parents in the country to take full charge of their children and not leave that responsibility to other people.
Ms Lungu said it was incumbent upon parents to nurture their children into responsible citizens and that they could only achieve that if they took keen interest in raising their offspring, besides conducting themselves in an exemplary manner.
Ms Lungu told journalists after leading a delegation in presenting hampers worth about K25,000 to 15 Christmas babies born between midnight and 09:00 hours at the UTH in Lusaka yesterday.
“It takes the parents to see to it that the child grows into a responsible citizen. The mothers, the fathers should take it upon themselves. They shouldn’t give the burden to others, even relatives.
We like asking the relatives to do the needful on our children or for our children.
“When you have a baby it means that you knew what you wanted and, therefore, you should look after that baby. So for the parents out there, I am saying please let us take care of these children, let’s give them what they need, let’s make sure that they don’t go into the streets when they grow up,” she said.
Ms Lungu said that some children ended up as street kids partly because of their parents’ recklessness.
She cited alcohol abuse and gender-based violence among parents as some of the factors that would force children to run away from homes as that environment was not conducive for their upbringing.
In Ndola, MILDRED KATONGO reports that Ndola Central Hospital (NCH) recorded five Christmas babies, among them, a set of twins.
NCH acting senior medical superintendent Sebastian Chinkoya said out of the five three were girls and two were boys.
Dr Chinkoya said when Ndola Mayor Amon Chisenga donated hampers to babies born on Christmas Day that the babies were born between 02:19 hours and 06:00 hours.
Mr Chisenga said he was humbled to visit and share Christmas gifts for the newly-born babies and that he was happy to see the good work that the hospital and its staff were doing in providing quality healthcare services.
“I am humbled to visit this place and just to share the little with the babies and mothers. I am also glad to note that NCH is doing fine and it is doing a good job in primary healthcare service delivery,” he said.
In the same vein, Kitwe Central Hospital recorded four Christmas babies, reports JANE MWANSA.
The Christmas babies were three females and one boy.
Kitwe City Mayor Christopher Kang’ombe and other Government officials who visited the hospital yesterday morning urged mothers to take care of the babies and ensure that they grew up to be good
citizens.
BRIAN HATYOKA reports from Livingstone that the Livingstone Central Hospital had five Christmas babies, who included three males and one female.
Livingstone Mayor Eugene Mapuwo presented Christmas hampers to the four families on behalf of the Livingstone City Council.
Mr Mapuwo said he was delighted as a city father to receive four children, who he described as a blessing from God.