By Charles Tembo
HEALTH minister Sylvia Masebo says the PF government was not there to work but to make money.
Masebo said the decentralisation policy has failed since 1991 because previous governments had no political will.
She also said getting drug prescriptions in health centres will be a thing of the past.
Masebo said this during the 6th community health assistants’ graduation ceremony at Levy Stadium in Ndola yesterday.
“Community health assistants are the bedrock of the health care delivery to the people. We believe in having a healthy and productive nation that will contribute to the transformation of the nation. We want to walk the talk as demonstrated in commitment by doubling the budget allocation next year,” she said. “The process of decentralisation started in 1991. We saw it and previous government did not show will to decentralise. The government of Michael Sata tried. But after that the other (government of Edgar Lungu) was a president who was busy making money. These only knew how to make money.”
Masebo said President Hakainde Hichilema has shown political will to implement the decentralisation policy.
“He can’t be compared to any leader before in the country. Today we have a President who understands the decentralisation process very well. So public health service has been decentralised to the local authority,” she said. “The Ministry of Health will decentralise and community health assistants, you will be the first ones to carry the banner of decentralisation.”
Masebo explained that the recruitment of health workers would include the community health assistants.
“We are resolved to end drug shortages in the country. People should not be given prescriptions when they visit any health centre. We show commitment that we don’t give prescription of even to buy Panadol,” she said. “We have clinics that are either completed or not. Having drugs or not. Having health personal or not. So we want in this coming budget to complete all the projects that are at 80 per cent.”
Masebo encouraged the graduates to be good health workers that will serve the people.
“Exercise high levels of professionalism. You are the face of the Ministry of Health,” said Masebo.
And Ndola Teaching Hospital senior medical Superintendent Dr Joseph Musowoya said concentration would be at community level in order to prevent diseases because that is where the battle is./LM
The Mast