Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary for Technical Services Kennedy Lishimpi says he is impressed with infrastructure development being undertaken in North Western Province using Constituency Development Fund (CDF) aimed at supporting maternal health. 

ZANIS reports that speaking to journalists after he made a spot-on check on Kakombe and Mushitala Maternity Annexes constructed using 2022 CDF allocation in Solwezi Central Constituency, Dr Lishimpi said he is impressed that the Presidential directive to have a Maternity Annex at every health facility is being followed. 

Dr Lishimpi said he is also impressed that health facilities have adhered to the directive of putting up running water with flushable toilets. 

He expressed delighted that the government is slowly working towards achieving its goal to have health services taken closer to the people. 

“With improved funding we are going to see unprecedented development of smaller facilities coming up and this I think is what we have been preaching about in terms of making health services available and closer to the people’’, he said. 

Dr Lishimpi also made an assurance that soon the Ministry of Health will procure the needed equipment for smooth operations. 

Meanwhile, Dr Lishimpi said he is happy with the development taking place at Solwezi General Hospital.

“We are going to see a completely turned around Solwezi General Hospital.  The old theatre is being done, the whole ICU will be redone, all the Wards will be redone, resources have been found and this work is already underway as we witnessed including additional two boreholes at Solwezi General Hospital to improve the water supply to the hospital. And I am sure we are going to have power supply either from solar or generators,” he said.

He said infrastructure development at the General Hospital will also come with digital and modern equipment. 

Meanwhile, Dr Lishimpi said he is delighted that all the three health facilities he visited had enough stock of medicine catering for one month ahead of schedule. 

“We visited at least three health centres and we were happy to witness the hard working nurses, clinical officers and we had time to interact with the general public who are utilizing our services, “he said.

And Acting Provincial Health Director who is also Solwezi General Hospital Senior Medical Superintendent Kitanda Sondashi described the Permanent Secretary’s visit as fruitful adding that he would leave it up to Dr Lishimpi to give an account of how the province was performing in the health sector. 

Speaking earlier, Kakombe Rural Health Centre Facility in Charge Grace Mufungwe expressed gratitude to the government for constructing a Maternity Annex adding that it will go a long way in catering for the catchment population of 7,800 people. 

“This Facility had no labour ward. We just improvised a room where we conduct deliveries and we are attending to quite a number of people and others are coming from Mushindamo. she said. 

And Community Health Volunteers Idah Mbunge said the Kakombe Maternity Annex will go a long way in saving the community.

Another Community Health Volunteer Helen Mafweshi said the construction of the Maternity Annex will help to make the work environment conducive.