Civil group, ZUSD, calls for national talks on crisis in health sector

Zambia United for Sustainable Development (ZUSD) has urged President Hakainde Hichilema to convene a roundtable meeting on health matters.

ZUSD presidential assistant Tatila Tatila said following a successful roundtable meeting with stakeholders in the energy sector, the President should extend it to the health sector.

“We are appealing to President Hichilema to extend his roundtable meeting to the Ministry of Health especially that stakeholders are calling on the Government to declare a national state of emergency on lack of drugs in hospitals,” Tatila stated.

Read more: Medical association calls for emergency, as shortages of medicine hit medical sector

He said in an interview on Monday that Government should include past ministers of Health such as Brian Chituwo, Jonas Chanda and Chitalu Chilufya.

Tatila said others to be included in the meeting should be officials from the medical association and parliamentary health committee headed by Christopher Kalila which he was confident would resolve challenges surrounding the health sector.
He said the UPND promised better health during campaigns adding that Zambians voted for them hence the need for the Zambian government to deliver better health services to the people.

“Our appeal to Government is that combat new infection of COVID-19 pandemic and protect communities, the announcement of 39 new cases of COVID-19 Health Minister Sylvia Masebo is worrisome especially that most Zambians have not yet recovered from the impact of COVID-19 pandemic,” Tatila said.