Zambia: Minister of Health, Elijah Muchima, has revealed in front of the media that there are 600 cancer patients in Zambia who need to fly out for treatment. The patients are waiting to be evacuated to India for treatment as there is a shortage of treatment facilities in Zambia.
The Minister took this opportunity to reiterate that it is crucial for Zambia to have their own cancer facilities. This will help significantly to ease the burden of sending cancer patients to India for treatment. The government of Zambia wants to save more lives locally without having to fly the patients out.
Having patients travel in and out of a nation while in the middle of treatment can prolong the recovery period. The stakeholders have shared that it is important for the country to be fully and completely equipped to provide treatment.
Dr Muchima says that the government of Zambia has been working with stakeholders to make this possible. The government is constructing three cancer diseases hospitals across the country and one hospital in Lusaka is operational.
He adds that equipment for the Ndola Cancer Diseases Hospital has arrived into the country. Furthermore and the Livingstone hospital is under construction.
The Minister of Health made these remarks during a courtesy call from Rotary International President, Mario De Camargo. The Roary President called on the Minister in Lusaka on Thursday and they discussed this issue.
During the meeting, Dr Elijah Muchima asserted that the administration needs to equip local cancer hospitals especially with radiotherapy. This will help in reducing the cost of treatment which the people bear abroad.
This development will also help manage the ever-growing number of patients.
Furthermore, Rotary International President, Mario De Camargo said that he was satisfied with the discussion which he had with the Minister of Health in Zambia. He indicated that his visit to Zambia is aimed at strengthening ties between local Rotary constituents and government officials.
This will help authorities look for opportunities of collaboration in government programmes for the bettermet of the cancer facilities in Zambia The officials have shared that the development of healthcare capacity is important for the nation and the government.