THE countrywide distribution of 100 ambulances and the plan by the Ministry of Health is welcome as it will improve emergency services and safe lives.
We laud the government for prioritising the provision of efficient emergency services to victims of accidents.
Development cannot be divorced from the provision of quality healthcare.
When citizens are healthy they will have the capacity to engage in productive activity, which will contribute to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).
Timely evacuation and treatment of accident victims increases their chances of surviving the injuries they may have suffered.
But emergency and rescue workers have many times failed to carry out their work for lack of equipment and training.
It is for this reason we agree with Minister of Health Joseph Kasonde that the procurement of the ambulances will strengthen emergency mobile services.
Dr Kasonde said on Wednesday his ministry has already sent 20 of the ambulances to the districts and that 98 are yet to be distributed.
At the distribution ceremony held in Lusaka the minister drove the point home when he explained Government’s expectations from the investment in the rescue services.
“The ambulances will improve emergency services in different hospitals and help in the evacuation of injured people,” Dr Kasonde said.
This development is welcome. Zambia has lost many of its citizens who have been involved in road traffic accidents because of the absence of an efficient rescue system.
We agree with Inspector General of Police Stella Libongani’s observation while visiting the scene of an accident that many of those who have died either at the hospitals or on the way after being injured would have been saved if there had been efficient rescue and evacuation services in the country.
Some of the victims have died from the loss of blood while others have succumbed to the trauma emanating from the injuries.
In some cases the victims have died because of poor handling by people who have not been trained and do not have experience in the handling of such patients.
It is in this light that we hail the announcement by Dr Kasonde that the government has plans to train emergency paramedics, critical care nurses and emergency physicians.
This will be a worthwhile investment, which will deliver a lot of benefits to both the citizens and the government.
The government will spend less resources on treatment and care, and funerals for multiple casualties in fatal accidents.
In short the nation will make significant savings because of timely rescue and evacuation of victims.
We urge the districts where the ambulances have been sent to use them for the purpose for which they were procured.
Controlling officers should not allow a situation where the life-saving vehicles are used for ferrying family members to schools and markets.
We are saying so because there is rampant abuse of such facilities in rural areas where monitoring capacity is low.
Let the people in these areas feel the benefits of improved resource allocation to the health sector.
We also urge the Ministry of Health to speed up the training or recruitment of emergency paramedic staff, critical care nurses and emergency physicians.
The services of these men and women are urgently needed.
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