BY WANDILE TSHUMA
Government has acknowledged the geographical and infrastructural challenges affecting healthcare delivery in Binga District, with Deputy Health and Child Care Minister Sleiman Kwidini telling Parliament that authorities were trying to strengthen services in remote communities through outreach programmes and increased staffing.
The response followed questions raised by Binga North MP Joseph Cumanzala, who had asked the Health Ministry to explain what measures were being taken to improve healthcare services in rural Binga, reduce malaria and waterborne diseases in the Zambezi Valley and expand healthcare facilities in line with population growth and economic activity.
Cumanzala first raised the concerns more than a month ago through written parliamentary questions amid growing complaints from communities over poor access to clinics, long travelling distances and recurring disease outbreaks in parts of Binga.
Responding in Parliament this week, Kwidini said the Government was planning to double the number of health workers by 2030 as part of efforts to improve healthcare delivery across the country.
“To ensure an adequate health workforce, the Ministry of Health and Child Care is planning to double the number of health workers by 2030,” Kwidini said.
He told Parliament that more primary healthcare nurses had already been deployed across rural health centres in Binga to strengthen primary healthcare services.
The deputy minister also acknowledged the difficulties faced by hard-to-reach communities in the district, where some villagers travel long distances to access clinics and hospitals.
“For the hard-to-reach communities, we have managed to sustain outreach services, especially for the immunisation of children under five years,” he said.
“Outreach services mean our health teams will bring health services directly into communities to cater for the elderly and young ones, thus reducing travel distance to health facilities where services could be offered,” Kwidini added.
The ministerial response also focused on disease control programmes in the Zambezi Valley, where malaria and waterborne diseases remain a recurring concern because of climatic conditions and access to safe water.
“With the help of the head office, the district has managed to put neglected tropical diseases such as bilharzia under control through mass drug administration working together with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education,” Kwidini said.
Binga communities have for years raised concern over shortages of medical staff, poor road networks, inadequate ambulance services, defunct mortuary and limited healthcare infrastructure in remote wards.
The district, which borders Lake Kariba and the Zambezi River, also regularly records malaria cases during the rainy season while some communities continue relying on unsafe water sources.
Kwidini said the ministry was additionally promoting the upskilling of healthcare workers to strengthen service delivery in rural districts.