Chamboli clinic upgrade plans advance

DESIGNS to upgrade Kitwe’s Chamboli clinic into a first level referral hospital have been done and are awaiting approval from the Ministry of Health, Copperbelt Provincial health principal infrastructure director Joackim Longwe has said.

Mr Longwe said the works for the upgrading of the Chamboli clinic into a first level referral hospital were expected to start in May, this year after approval from the Ministry of Health. He said Government had clinched a US$24 million deal with Japan through the Japan International Cooperation Agency ( JICA) which would see Chamboli and Mushili clinics in Ndola upgraded into first level referral hospitals "The upgrading of the Chamboli clinic into a first level referral hospital will be done together with Mushili clinic under the US$24milion JICA deal which the government had clinched with Japanese government,'' Mr Longwe said.

And Copperbelt Provincial Health Director, Robert Zulu, said the upgrading of the clinic in the district would help enhance service delivery to the people and improve human resource and surgical services.

Dr Zulu said the absence of the first level hospital had led to Kitwe Teaching Hospital (KTH) being congested as it catered for a larger population from various parts of the city.

“If we can have a first level referral hospital in Kitwe, then it would reduce pressure on Kitwe Teaching Hospital which is overwhelmed and congested because it is the only referral hospital in the district,’’

"If we can have a first level referral hospital in Kitwe, then it would reduce pressure on Kitwe Teaching Hospital which is overwhelmed and congested because it is the only referral hospital in the district,'' Dr Zulu said

Meanwhile Wusakile Member of Parliament Pavyuma Kalobo said people in the constituency have patiently been waiting for the project to start.

"Once the project was completed, it would improve health care service delivery to the whole district and help decongest KTH,'' Mr Kalobo said.