Thu, 25 Jan 2018 17:48:28 +0000
By ALICE CHISANGA LUNGU
PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu has affirmed that he is a man of his words.
Speaking when he inspected the progress of the construction of Muyombe Ist Level Hospital in Mafinga the President said he expected to see the people he worked with to equally keep their word.
He urged the provincial permanent secretary, Mafinnga Member of Parliament and other civil servants to work extra hard in ensuring that all pending projects in the area where completed.
President Lungu promised to build the people of Muyombe a hospital during the 2016 campaign, the words which he said he has kept.
” This is the only project that has impressed me in the district so far.” he said. ” I want to see the hospital fully completed when I return in July or August .” he added.
And Health Minister Dr. Chitalu Chilufya said the completion of the 1st Level Hospital will help improve the health service delivery in the area.
Dr.Chilufya said the current situation was that people who needed advanced health care where referred to Isoka General Hospital which was about 175 m away.
He said upon completion, Muyombe 1st Level Hospital would have a professional medical Doctor and other health workers who would attend to patients with cases that’s where currently referred to Isoka General Hospital.
Meanwhile workers at the construction site complained of poor working conditions.
They said the salaries where minimal with bricklayers getting K800 per month, General Worker’s getting K 23 per day and drivers getting K 30 per day.
They said lunch was not provided and those that came with packed food where only given a thirty minutes lunch break which started at 12:00hrs and ended at 12:30hrs.
One of the workers Mr.Kanyika who works as brick layer at the site said it was hard working there saying if they fell sick, despite having an authentic sick note, the missed days where deducted from their salaries.
“Here we have no right to get sick or attend to a family funeral as doing so attracted a deduction from your pay.” He said.
Muyombe First level hospital is one of the two hospitals under construction in Mafinga district the other one being Tendere Hospital which its services has since been commissioned.
Mafinga was declared a district by late President Michael Sata in 2011.
