A health population is a productive one. As such, it is paramount that citizens have access to affordable, good quality health services which is every person’s right. The health system is facing many challenges; our statistics are disheartening as compared to other countries: for instance, the average life expectancy, maternal mortality rate and deaths from preventable diseases.

Additional challenges facing our health sector include: the often-unpleasant state of our clinics, government hospitals and community health centres which are riddled with shortages of staff, state of the art equipment and medication; health professionals, and tools necessary for preventing and controlling communicable and non-communicable diseases. The following are the reforms we shall undertake:

As much as better remuneration is critical for health workers, we recognize that it alone, can not allow us to retain public service workers unless other working conditions of service are improved, such as level of stuffing, working aids, technologically advanced equipment and tools that enhance treatment and clinical care.

We shall reduce the ratios of health care workers to the number of patients to international acceptable standards.

As NDC we shall be raising public sector salaries that shall be attractive and competitive on the labour market per annum and commensurate with the prevailing inflation rates. This shall motivate the private sector to raise remuneration.

The NDC shall bridge the gap among the Health sector, academia and the private sector. We shall turn all provincial hospitals into university teaching hospitals, housing medical universities for all disciplines under the health sector.

We shall also ensure the use of biotechnology in prevention, management, and treatment of diseases. Introduce Intelligence and robotics into the health sector.

We shall ensure that each district has at least two (2), level three District Hospitals run by the government and each ward a clinic with a mortuary, operating theatre, laboratory and well stocked pharmacy department that shall be run by the Local Government Authority.
We shall review the National health insurance schemes in public interest.

The NDC shall decentralize powers and health functions to local governments hospitals. We shall also support their effort to access international medical grants such as the Global Fund to fight the scourge of HIV and AIDS, TB, malaria and other communicable diseases.
For the treatment of HIV and AIDS, we shall ensure that Zambia adopts the fourth-generation drugs.

Discourage medical personnel to be appointed to non-medical positions in government and the Private sector.

Undertake country wide training of traditional birth attendants in order to reduce child maternal death.

With increased output of medical doctors and all health personnel we shall separate private medical practice from government medical practice so that doctors running private clinics have no part in government services except for referral purposes.

Encourage and provide financing research and development of our local herbs which have a history of healing our people into medical products through scientifically proven clinical trials.

Provide for alternative sources of energy for power and water in all health centres.
People leaving with mental health conditions, dementia (loss of memory), delirium anD special needs.

Mental health refers to the cognitive, behavioral and emotional well-being.
Increased attention by government researchers and journal globally is therefore essential. In 2013 members of the states of the different countries of the world health organization assembly committed to comprehensive mental health action plan, in which they pledged among other nations targets to increase several coverage for several mental health disorders by 20% by 2020 and reduce suicide rate, substance abuse and schizophrenic rate by 10%

The third goal was of the sustainable development goal adopted by all worlds’ government in 2016. Include, commitment to improve mental health and prevent and treat substance abuse disorder.

In central Africa Zambia has the largest proportion of the burden of the mental health problem, this is because Zambian government has not taken mental health as the one of the major concern seriously.

Approximately over 65% of the youths are living with the mental problems due to high uncontrollable consumption of alcohol and other substance abuse like MARIJUANA and TOBBACO.

The government of Zambian has shown no seriousness to fight mental health more especially among the youths.

Extensively, dementia (loss of memory) and delirium in aged citizen of Zambia is also another mental health concern that the government of Zambia has failed to meet since 2014 0f the WHO assembly more especially by the poor community and remote areas.
Just within the city of Lusaka itself there are more than 10,000 people living with typical schizophrenic condition and psychosis and Zambia with the population of close to 17milion has only one mental health hospital (chainama hills hospital) that has only one female ward (ward C) with the bed spaces of about 50, it has also general male ward (ward B) with the bed spaces of not more than 100, the only one substance induced patients ward (ward E), then also has ward F where they keep institutionalized patient and then it has forensic ward in chainama east.This shows that Zambia cannot even more than 1000 patients at a goal and it shows how uncaring government is when it comes to mental health.

As NDC we will ensure that each district hospital has staff that are trained in requisite courses and training involving care of mental health patients and patients with spacial needs.

All University teaching hospitals shall house training for courses and specialisation in mental health training.

We will ensure that we introduce mental health courses in all the Health Colleges including nursing schools.

We will build atleast one mental health hospital in all the ten provinces and introduce mental health department department in all faith based and mission hospitals via a collaborative venture.

So as the NDC, we will expand hospitals to accommodate the people living with mental problems since their have the right to life just like any other citizens or build in all ten provinces at least one mental hospital because chainama itself cant accommodate all the patients we see round the street.

Mental health its important because it’s the vital part of your life and your thoughts , emotion and behavior. Being health emotionally can promote productivity and effectives in activities like work, school or care giving.

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