Rupiah Banda made health care a major focus of his government’s plan. During his reign around 12% of the country’s budget was devoted to the Ministry of Health as a way to increase the access to health care in the country. Also, the government has delivered anti-retroviral drugs to 89% of the country’s AIDS population as well as worked to reduce the number of malaria-related deaths by 66%.
With 60% of the country population living in rural areas, where there was a low access to healthcare service there was a need for an innovate solution. The former president invested Zk3300bn (USD53m)on a project to develop mobile hospitals across various districts. The former president argued that the mobile hospitals will reach about 3 out of 4 Zambians. Each mobile hospital is made up of 6 truck and trailer units all of which are equipped with X-ray machines, laboratories, surgical theatre and are manned by 40 medically trained staff.. The mobile units all have independent power and water supplies, and the staff are provided with sleeping accommodation as well as canteens all on site. The trucks are fully equipped with high frequency communication radios, which will provide an opportunity for real time communication between health care specialists across the country. With all these, the mobile hospitals are expected to treat everything from small ailments to serious diseases and accidents.
According to a government report, between the launch in April 2011 and September 2011 more than 50, 000 Zambians have been treated through the mobile hospitals. Also, as at September 2011 twelve new district hospitals have been commissioned as well as 3,600 medical doctors recruited. If everything goes according to plan by 2016, new hospitals will be built in all districts in the country.
Indeed a legacy
The project has had its fair share of criticism, some of which include the suspicion that the project was used tosecure votes, as well as the source of funding - the current mobile hospitals were acquired from a Chinese trade company with assistance from a Chinese bank.
Now that Rupiah Banda lost the recent electionto the opposition party, who were critical of the project, it is our hope that this project will continue, and continue to produce its hoped outcomes.
