Chongwe health office decries lack of maternity wing at clinic
THE district health office in Chongwe has decried the lack of a maternal wing at the health post in Kapete ward of Chongwe.
Acting district health director (DHD), Mable Changala made the observation when the area member of parliament, Japhen Mwakalombe visited the clinic on a familiarisation tour. She told the MP that women in the area travel up to 8 kms to access maternity services and that this was a sad development that must be addressed if the maternal mortality rate was to be reduced.
She said the women that deliver at the clinic have been subjected to delivering in an unconducive environment that was a psychological nightmare. She said that women require privacy when they are in delivery. This, she said was not possible with the current infrastructure at the clinic.
She disclosed that the health office had partnered with the community to construct a maternity wing but the project had stalled due to lack of requisite building materials.
She appealed for support to ensure that the project was expedited and said that this would go a long way in alleviating the suffering of the women in the area once the project was completed.
And Chongwe Member of Parliament, Japhen Mwakalombe promised to assist in expediting the construction of the maternity wing. He said that maternal health was a right and as such must be accorded to the women. He said that women need to deliver in a serene environment in order to make the life-giving process a pleasure rather than a night mare.
Mr. Mwakalombe also donated 1, 000 building blocks and 50 pockets of cement and pledged to support the project until it is completed.
And headman Kondola thanked the lawmaker for the donation. He also pledged to ensure that his subjects in the area contribute labour to the project. He also appealed to other well-wishers to emulate the gesture and lend a helping hand to the rural community.
GRAVE diggers in Kitwe have developed a tendency of getting drunk and becoming unruly to mourners.
Some mourners have complained to community leaders and councillors about the disrespectful behaviour of the grave diggers
They have appealed to the Kitwe City Council to ensure that grave diggers were sober and that the local authority should flush out anyone found in a drunken state in the cemetery.
Twatasha ward councillor, Michael Mbulo, has since warned of stern action against the grave diggers that get drunk while working.
The councillor said that any grave digger who would be found disrespecting mourners would be sanctioned.
Mr Mbulo observed that many grave diggers insulted the mourners for no reason after drinking beer and smoking cannabis using the money they were paid for digging the graves.
The councillor said there was need for the Kitwe City Council to allow sober council workers to do the job or pay the usual diggers after the work was done. Mr Mbulo was speaking in an interview with the Daily Nation in Kitwe.
“I have realised that this trend has continued especially at Chingola Road Cemetery and I will not as area councillor allow it to continue.
“I will not allow the innocent mourners to continue being insulted the through songs as well as direct talk from the grave diggers,” Mr Mbulo said.
The councillor called on the Town Clerk and all councillors to look into the issue and ensure there was sanity at the grave sites.
He said that grave yards should not to be turned into play grounds but be respected as they were the final resting places for the departed.
Mr Mbulo however commended the police for coming in quickly when such behaviours were reported.