Service delivery in hospitals, clinics appalling

Dear Editor,

TO state that service delivery in our hospitals and clinics leaves much to be desired is an understatement because there are no services to talk about at all.

Apart from the usual discourtesy from our nurses and other health personnel to lack of drugs, our health facilities can be best described as departure centres for patients to their local cemeteries.

Those who have been to Zambia’s biggest hospital, UTH, will agree with me that for one to be seen by a doctor after admission, is an almost far-fetched expectation.

Recently, I had an uncle from the village who was admitted in this hospital and it took almost a week before a doctor saw him and needless to say that at this point, his condition had worsened.

Of course the stories of patient ill-treatment especially in our clinics are abound and strangely nothing seems to be done to correct the situation.

I think the buck stops at managements in these institutions who have probably never heard of “management by walking around” notion.

Just imagine the difference it would make if the managing director at UTH developed a good habit of paying surprise visits to wards, including at night. I am sure the situation could already have changed for the better.

But for now these health workers at UTH and elsewhere know for sure that they are free to do as they like in the absence of serious supervision.

Indeed, medicines is another area of grave concern because often times people are given prescriptions to go and buy drugs from pharmacies yet the government daily assures the nation that our health institutions are full with drugs. So where are the drugs going?

My appeal is to the Minister of Health Dr Chitalu Chilufya to up his game and ensure that service delivery in our health institutions meets the people’s expectations.

People are tired of the assurances in newspapers, radio and television bulletins which at the end of the day mean nothing.

It would appear that only the rich will access medical services in Zambia while the rest of us can continue to suffer in total silence and despair, until we are taken to our burial sites BISERK MAANGA. Lusaka.