Mobile hospitals? Committee to assess cost-effectiveness

Government has, in the past few weeks, been attacked by opposition parties and other stakeholders over the proposal to older mobile hospital worth US$53 million dollars. Now Chief Government spokesperson, Ronnie Shikapwasha, says the issue should not be blown out of proportion because Government is still assessing their cost effectiveness.

General Shikapwasha says Government will hear from every Zambian through an assessment committee to ascertain whether or not mobile clinics are cost-effective.
He said this May 21 when he featured on Radio Christian Voice programme on “Health delivery services in Zambia”.

“The issue of purchasing mobile clinics is misinformation. Government has not yet bought them because it is still assessing the situation before it can make a decision. If the people say they do not want them, then why buy things which people will not use,” he said.

Shikapwasha said after the committee finishes assessing the cost-effectiveness of mobile clinics, a report will be tabled before Cabinet that will decide whether the facilities should be bought or not. He said Government will carry out wide consultations on the issue of mobile clinics because some people are in support of the idea while others are against it. He said just recently, traditional rulers who represent people came out in the open to support the purchase of mobile clinics contrary to the views of some people and especially those in urban areas who feel they are not a better initiative.

Shikapwasha was responding to a caller who said it will be disobeying people’s will if Government goes ahead and buys mobile clinics when they do not want them.

“We have not bought them yet. So there is no disobedience to the people. But of course there are those in urban areas who think they are not cost-effective. All those will be considered by the committee,” he said.

Gen. Shikapwasha said the mobile clinics issue is not new to Zambia because it has been carried out by the Ministry of Health since the 1970s especially those for eye problems. He said more than 50 per cent of the people in rural areas cannot reach clinics within five kilometres and mobile clinics can help to lessen this problem. He said the Ministry of Health is considering the cost-effectiveness of mobile clinics compared with continued construction of permanent structures.

“Government has been looking at this issue and there is no need to say the President wants a cut from this. I have challenged those saying this to produce evidence but they have not up to now,” he said.

And Gen. Shikapwasha attributed the shortage of medicines in hospitals and clinics to pilfering by some officers in the Ministry of Health who own private clinics. He appealed to Zambians to report any such incidences and corrupt practices at the Ministry of Health to the Anti-Corruption Commission and other law enforcement agencies so that culprits can be dealt with accordingly.

“My appeal is that if you see civil servants building mansions, please report them to the relevant bodies that fight corruption,” he said.