A RADIOLOGIST who recently differed with health minister Chitalu Chilufya over a broken CT-Scan is now ‘jobless’ after he found that Lewanika Hospital in Mongu has no vacancy for him.
And Livingstone Central Hospital sources have revealed that a senior medical officer at the provincial health office has acquired a CT-Scan for a private hospital to which patients are being referred.
According to a Lewanika Hospital source who spoke on condition of anonymity, Sydney Mulamfu was turned back after he reported for work at the same hospital.
“The man came in but he found that there is already somebody who is the head of department in the Radiology Department, so our human resources manager told him to go back to Livingstone,” the source revealed. “It is grappling with a shortage of qualified medical cadres and yet we can have one just seated at home doing nothing for merely telling the minister the truth.”
When contacted, Mulamfu said he could not talk and referred this reporter to Dr Chilufya.
“I can’t comment, please call the minister,” he said.
In January, Mulamfu differed with Dr Chilufya when he was asked what his interest was by insisting that a broken-down CT-Scan at the hospital be repaired.
Sources at Livingstone Central Hospital said Dr Chilufya had accused Mulamfu of only being interested in ‘Zimbabwean’ patients who allegedly were paying him for the use of the CT-Scan.
According to sources, the minister’s statement angered Mulamfu, leading a vicious verbal exchange between the two.
Mulamfu and most of his juniors in the department were transferred out of the central hospital for allegedly being insubordinate.
Dr Kaseya Chiyeni, who was the acting Livingstone Central Hospital medical superintendent at the time, when contacted, admitted that the CT-Scan had not been operational for a while.
“No one has been transferred, I was talking to Mr Mulamfu this morning…awe sure…no one differed with the Minister,” said Dr Chiyeni.
And Livingstone Central Hospital sources have disclosed that patients requiring CT-Scan services at the institution were being enticed to seek the services of a named private hospital where a senior government medical officer has placed his equipment.
“We have one of our senior doctor in Choma who has bought a CT-Scan for a private hospital. And his preferred replacement of Mr Mulamfu who has taken charge of the Radiology Department at Livingstone Central Hospital is referring patients who are in need of Echo (echocardiogram) to this hospital,” said the sources.
“The private hospital is charging K450 for this procedure which is supposed to cost K75 for low cost patients and K150 for high cost patients at Livingstone Central Hospital.”