Impressed with the facilities while touring the Chikuni Mission Health Centre on August 19th, Zambian Health Deputy Minister Chitalu Chilufya urged Southern Province medical officials to immediately upgrade it into a first level referral hospital.
The status upgrade implies a higher grant from the government, more personnel as well as a larger drug supply for the Chikuni Mission Health Centre, which has a capacity of 108 beds, a modern laboratory, a maternity ward and 2 modern operating theatres.
Chilufya declared: « Chikuni Health Centre has adequate infrastructure and equipment to provide services as a first level hospital, upgrade the grant to the hospital and beef up staff to this centre”, adding that it would also help decongest the Monze Mission Hospital, a second level hospital covering the same area in southern Zambia.
Happily welcoming the news, Chikuni Mission Acting Director Father Bert Otten thanked the government as well as his hard-working staff for the upgrade, while calling on the government to work on the nearby Gwembe-Chisekese road to improve access and communication.
This comes within a month of completion of phase 1 of the construction of the K11.5 million Gwembe District Hospital, which will be able to service 62.000 patients in the area once completed.
