Health Minister Joseph Kasonde assures health service delivery to rural areas

Government says it is committed to bringing primary health care services closer to the people in rural areas.
Health Minister, Joseph Kasonde says the construction of 650 health posts in the country and 57 in Eastern Province is one measure that government has taken to provide health care services to communities in rural areas.
Dr. Kasonde was speaking yesterday when he paid a courtesy call on Eastern Province Permanent Secretary, Chanda Kasolo ahead of today’s launch of the operation of four health posts that have already been completed in the province.
He says government will ensure that there is high level of performance among health workers and effective distribution of drugs in all health care facilities in the country.
And speaking earlier, Eastern Province Permanent Secretary, Chanda Kasolo appealed to the Minister to be involving the provincial administration in the tendering process for construction projects in the province.
Mr. Kasolo says this will assist the provincial administration in supervising the works unlike the current situation where contractors perform shoddy works because they are not being closely supervised.
Meanwhile, Provincial Medical Officer, Abel Kabalo says 500 hectares of land has been given for the construction of a medical hub for storage of medicine in Chipata district.
Dr. Kabalo says currently, the Ministry of Health is spending about 36 thousand Kwacha per month to rent a building for the medical hub.