Chipata–Chadiza road upgrade eases pressure on Chadiza health sector

The upgrade of the Chipata–Chadiza road to bituminous standard has brought significant relief to the delivery of healthcare services in Chadiza District. Chadiza District Health Director Bless Shimuunza said the previous poor state of the road presented challenges in health…

The upgrade of the Chipata–Chadiza road to bituminous standard has brought significant relief to the delivery of healthcare services in Chadiza District.

Chadiza District Health Director Bless Shimuunza said the previous poor state of the road presented challenges in health service delivery.

Dr Shimuunza said this in an interview with Zambia News and Information Services(ZANIS).

He said the district, which only has one hospital, struggled to transport critically ill patients requiring specialized care to Chipata Central Hospital, as the journey took long due to the poor state of the road.

Dr Shimuunza said health facilities along the road that refer patients to Chadiza district hospital also faced delays when ambulances were dispatched due to the poor road network.

He explained that the tarmac road has now brought a lot of benefits to the health sector.

“The development on the road has reduced the amount of money allocated towards maintenance and service of utility vehicles and ambulances,” Dr Shimuunza said.

He added that the travel time has reduced, with patients now being taken to Chipata Central Hospital within an hour.

“With improved accessibility, cooperating partners such as the Churches Health Association of Zambia (CHAZ), that help us with medical supplies are able to access the district with ease,” he said.

He said this has helped the district maintain drug availability above 80 percent in all health facilities, describing it as a major plus for health service delivery.

Works on the 65 kilometer main stretch of Chipata-Chadiza road are scheduled to be completed before December.

The project that includes over 20 kilometers of township road in Chipata and Chadiza, and four bridges is being undertaken by Sable Construction Limited, and valued at K1.5 billion.