By Nonhlanhla Phuti
The Newly Commissioned Chifubu Level 1 Mini Hospital in Ndola district on the Copperbelt is failing to deliver essential health services to members of the public due to long hours of load-shedding.
A recent investigation by Phoenix News revealed that patients were being turned away because the hospital staff could not attend to them due to lack of electricity and it was discovered that the hospital currently lacks a dedicated power line, making it susceptible to load-shedding.
An inside source has revealed that the hospital's generator, although available, is too large and expensive to run continuously during power cuts, so it is only utilized for emergency situations.
One patient spoken to who required an x-ray mentioned that he could not receive the necessary medical attention because the hospital was without power.
And some residents have expressed disappointment over the hospital's inability to fulfill its purpose despite being commissioned recently as a result of load-shedding and have called on government to address the issue.
Meanwhile in response to the situation, Ndola District Commissioner Joseph Phiri has acknowledged the challenges being faced by the hospital and has disclosed that his office is in discussions with power utility ZESCO to facilitate the installation of a dedicated power line for the hospital.
He has however stated that in the meantime, health personnel are attending to some patients and critical cases are being referred to other public health facilities.
PHOENIX NEWS