Indian doctors expected in Zambia - Prof Mukonka

A SECOND team of doctors from India is expected in Zambia, in August this year to attend to patients and engage with local doctors as part of the Government’s capacity building and skills transfer programme aimed at reducing patient referrals abroad.

A fortnight ago, the first team of specialist doctors from Apollo, one of India’s leading hospitals, was in Zambia where they worked with their counterparts and conducted a number of clinical sessions.

The team also conducted a symposium which was part of the training programme for new technology, approaches, and methods in medical management of patients where over 60 doctors across the country attended.

Health Advisor at the Zambia High Commission in New Delhi, India, Prof. Victor Mukonka said the first delegation of doctors from India made it easy for a number of patients who did not have resources to travel to India to be attended to while in Zambia and it also helped the country save resources.

Prof Mukonka said after the first visit, it was agreed that another visit by a team of specialists be undertaken to Zambia in August as part of the process which was initiated by Vice President Mutale Nalumango during her visit to India last year aimed at equipping local doctors with skills for which patients are being evacuated abroad for medical attention.

He said building the capacity of medical personnel in Zambia is important as the country has been referring a huge number of patients for treatment to India specifically because of some of the competences and equipment that need to be developed in Zambia.

He said the first team of specialists had an interaction with both patients and their colleagues thereby enhancing skills transfer while attending to patients through ward rounds, clinics, and a number of patients were reviewed and procedures were conducted.

“After the first engagement, we agreed that during the upcoming Zambia Medical Association (ZMA) Annual General Meeting (AGM) in August this year, we conduct another outreach programme by bringing the specialists again to come and work with our colleagues in Zambia. Over a long term period, it allows us to save a lot of resources and allows hands-on skills transfer and building the capacity for our country.

“I just want to convey and appreciate the initiative by Her Honour the Vice President of the Republic of Zambia and also to thank our colleagues both from Zambia and Apollo hospitals and our colleges in the Ministry of Health led by the Minister for facilitating the programme,” Prof. Mukonka said.

In July last year, the Vice President visited India and toured Apollo Hospitals, and engaged with senior management on how they could help in building capacity and skills transfer in Zambia.

The Zambia High Commission took up technical details through the office of the Health Advisor and engaged Apollo Hospitals and worked out a programme which culminated into the first team of six specialists travelling to Zambia two weeks ago to work with their counterparts.