Zambia: Kitwe Teaching Hospital celebrated Christmas with the District Commissioner and Mayor of Kitwe. Both individuals shared the spirit of the festival and made donations to commemorate the festival.
District Commissioner Lawrence Mwanza donated baby hampers to new mothers of Christmas babies. Meanwhile, the mayor donated Christmas hampers to several wards of the hospital, including the Male ward
Notably, seven Christmas babies among them six of the newborns are girls and one is a boy. The District Commissioner of Kitwe, Lawrence Mwanza was present at the teaching hospital to celebrate the births.
District Commissioner Mwanza has donated hampers to the Christmas babies. He met with the new parents and congratulated them. During this visit, the District Commissioner also took the opportunity to refute speculations and misinformation about drug shortage.
Mwanza claimed that he is in constant touch with the hospital management, who have refuted such reports.
He asked people spreading wrong information about the drug stock situation to go there and verify with the facility’s management.
“There is no drug shortage here. I am in constant contact with Hospital management, grants are consistently provided to help in procuring drugs, we may have other challenges with infrastructure but not drugs, and a committee has been formed to facilitate the rehabilitation of the hospital infrastructure, ” he said.
He urged the opposition to support the government in providing health services to the people who need such assistance. He asked the officials to stop spreading rumours that the hospital has no drugs.
Meanwhile, Kitwe Mayor Mpasa Mwaya also visited the Kitwe Teaching Hospital to celebrate Christmas. She donated 61 Christmas hampers at Kitwe Teaching Mkushi male ward, post-natal ward and the Female surgical wards.
The Mayor said that she decided to give out Christmas hampers to the male patients because they become more vulnerable and cannot provide for their families when they are ill.
“As you may know, Christmas is a time for sharing and for reaching out to our loved ones, and so this year we have decided to reach out to the male ward. Away from the usual baby hampers because we realise that as family providers, men are most vulnerable when they cannot provide for their families when they are down.
“ So we want to appreciate them and show love to them., however, we will provide baby hampers to Christmas babies in selected clinics,” she said.
She also noted that the government has provided a lot of support to the women and youths, hence her initiative to reach our to the male patients. She said Christmas is a time for sharing and reaching out to loved ones.
She further urged Kitwe Teaching Hospital management to share its challenges with the council so that the council can help out where it can.
