Zambia Records Over A 1000 Christmas Babies
The Ministry of Health says Zambia has recorded over 1,000 babies countrywide born on Christmas day.
Minister of Health Chitalu Chilufya disclosed this when he handed over Christmas hampers to mothers of Christmas babies at selected health facilities in Lusaka namely the Lusaka University Teaching Hospital, Kanyama Level One and Chawama Level Two hospitals.
Dr Chilufya, who, in the company of senior health officials, visited mothers and their christmas babies said Lusaka had recorded 59 Christmas babies with selected health facilities such as UTH posting 11 babies, Kanyama 14, and Chawama nine, respectively.
ZANIS reports that Dr Chilufya said the government remains committed to accelerating the reduction of maternal and neonatal mortality in the country.
The minister said the PF administration has made strides in ensuring that no mother or child dies during birth as demonstrated by the reduced incidences of mother and child death.
“It’s President Edgar Lungu’s vision that no woman and child should die at childbirth. So the government is going with this vision to ensure that maternal and neonatal deaths are reduced, ” said Dr Chilufya.
Government will continue implementing its health infrastructure development agenda in order to enhance improved health service delivery to Zambians in the country, added the minister.
He thanked medical and nursing staff in realising the government’s vision of reducing maternal and neonatal mortality as they are the flagship carriers of the government’s universal health vision.
And one of the mothers of a Christmas babies at UTH, Clara Mulenga thanked President Edgar Lungu for the Christmas hampers and improved health care services.
The minister and his entourage then later on toured Kanyama Second Level Hospital which recorded 14 Christmas babies and consequently handed over the hampers.
Area lawmaker Elizabeth Phiri who witnessed the event appealed to the Ministry of Health to expand the health facility in order to improve delivery of health care services.
Ms Phiri , who is also Minister of Gender, pointed out that her constituency caters for a larger population and needs expanded health facilities, infrastructure and adequate health care personnel.
“ Kanyama Level Two Hospital had recorded 14 Christmas babies, I therefore call for urgent attention to address of the lack of space needed for performing crucial health care services, “ said the lawmaker.
In response, Dr Chilufya assured the people of Kanyama that the government remains committed to tackling and reducing maternal health and promoting improved health care services through construction of healthcare infrastructure.
The minister said that the construction of the 150 bed capacity JICA funded hospital at Kanyama will help improve health care delivery in the community.
“We are committed to completing the JICA funded hospital to improve access to health care services. Government has since recruited more nurses and doctors to improve health service delivery”, said Dr Chilufya.
He noted that as Kanyama has a higher population density , government is working round the clock to ensure that the population boom is matched with commensurate health care infrastructure and services.
At Chawama First Level Hospital which recorded nine Christmas babies, Dr Chilufya disclosed that the health facility will switch to a Second Level Hospital on January 15, 2021.
“ The transformation entails that Chawama Hospital will be fully equipped and staffed to perform any medical undertaking being performed anywhere else in the country, “ Dr Chilufya said.
Chawama Member of Parliament Lawrence Sichalwe who is also Minister of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs thanked the government for bringing improved health care services closer to the people.
Dr Chitalu and Mr Sichalwe jointly urged Zambians to promote peace and love during the festive season and build on that in maintaining Zambia as a peaceful country.
This article originally appeared on Lusaka Times