Mobile Hospitals Good 

Former Health minister Nkandu Luo has said the initiative by the Government to buy mobile hospitals will benefit the country and has called for the training of more health personnel to manage them.

Kafulafuta Member of Parliament George Mpombo, Patriotic Front president, Michael Sata and United Party for National Development leader, Hakainde Hichilema have in the recent past led a crusade to demonize the Government over its decision to acquire mobile hospitals.

However, a Times of Zambia research has shown that mobile hospitals have in their various forms worked well in developing countries where health services are not accessed easily.

For example, the Egyptian government introduced a mobile hospital project nationally in 1997 to provide women in remote areas with family planning services and other basic health care.

The project was launched to strengthen the family planning program and to close the gaps in contraceptive use that existed among different population groups living in different parts of the country.

The success rate as indicated by an Assuit University study after 10 years was encouraging.

The United States Doctors for Africa plan to deploy 200 mobile health clinics and 2,000 medical professionals in communities throughout sub-Saharan Africa over the next 10 to 15 years, with the primary mission being to deliver basic primary health care to millions of people in areas that have little or no access to advanced health care.

The US doctors deployed the first mobile hospital to Senegal in January last year.

Professor Luo said mobile hospitals would benefit Zambia in the long run, and advised that more health personnel should be trained while more efforts were required to construct feeder roads.

Mr. Kaputula said instead of only relying on traditional birth attendants to conduct these services, medical professionals such as gynecologists could easily travel to the countryside and attend to many expectant mothers through mobile hospitals.

He said mobile hospitals would also contribute positively to Zambia's life expectancy, which currently stood at between 35 and 37 years.

Meanwhile, National Democratic Focus president Ben Mwila accused fellow opposition leaders and the civil society of blowing their criticism over the purchase of mobile hospitals out of proportion.

Mr. Mwila said the criticism by Mr. Sata, Mr Hichilema and the critical civil society was schemed out of jealousy after realizing that the Government's decision would be appreciated by the people of Zambia.

She said countries like Malawi had applied for monetary resources from the Global Fund to train more personnel and advised the Zambian Government to do the same so that mobile hospitals are adequately catered for.

Sight Savers country director, Joseph Munsanje backed the Government's intentions to introduce mobile hospitals, saying the move would assist in the provision of health care to people in areas without permanent health facilities.
Mr. Munsanje said in an interview from Chingola the organization involved in treating people with eye problems, especially in rural parts of the country, was convinced that mobile hospitals would provide relief to people suffering from various ailments and lacking attention.

He said from experiences in many areas, thousands of people had never been to a health institution for attention for various reasons that included long distances.

"The other day we were in Masuku area, 70 km from Choma and we found some 70-year-old people that had no means of transport and needed urgent eye attention," he said.

Mr. Munsanje said what was being proposed was similar to what his organisation was doing and he was sure that the mobile hospitals would bring a lot of benefits to rural health care provision.

Public Health Partnership Forum (PHPF) has observed that the procurement of mobile hospitals by the Government from China will improve the maternal health care in Zambia.

PHPF publicity secretary Enock Kaputula said in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that the project would help curb maternal deaths, which were being experienced more in rural areas because of long distances to health centers.