News & Media LAUNCH OF THE ZAMBIA MEDICAL ASSOCIATION CO-OPERATIVE AND THE UNVEILING OF THE HOSPITAL PROJECT by admin February 3, 2020 written by admin The Zambia Medical Association (ZMA) is in the process of developing a 100 Bed capacity specialized private hospital to sit on the 5-acre piece of land located on the road frontage of Mumbwa road, 7 km from Lusaka CBD. The project is estimated to cost $15m, and being a not-for-profit organization, ZMA has facilitated the formation of an autonomous business entity called the Zambia Medical Association Cooperative (ZMAC) that will partner with ZMA members and the business community to capitalise this project, and oversee the subsequent construction and development of the hospital. In light of this, ZMA launched the ZMAC, unveiled the ZMAC board, and announced the Hospital Project as the first initiative of the ZMAC. The hospital is envisaged to serve the local people of Kanyama, citizens of Zambia and overseas patients. The launch took place on 1st February, 2020 at the ZMA plot on Mumbwa road in Lusaka. In attendance were area Member of Parliament for Kanyama constituency and Minister of Gender, Hon. Elizabeth Phiri, MP, the Permanent Secretary Administration Ministry of Health, Ms Kakulubelwa Mulalelo, representative of the Mayor for the City of Lusaka -Mr Bwalya and area ward councillor, Mr Brighton Bilumba. Hon. Elizabeth Phiri expressed positivity with the initiative, and wished for the immediate execution of the project. She noted that the medical needs of the large population in Kanyama cannot be met by the existing health facilities. Health Permanent Secretary for Administration, Ms Kakulubelwa Mulalelo, elaborated that her Ministry goes an extra mile in helping realize such projects being embarked on by ZMA, because development of any health facility, private or public, is a positive step towards helping government realise the Universal Health Coverage agenda. And ZMA President, Dr. Samson Chisele said the project is meant to increase access to health services among residents of Kanyama and beyond. The inaugural ZMAC Board comprises: Dr. Kevin Zimba – Chairperson Dr. Patricia Shinondo – Vice Chairperson Mr Phillimon Songolo – Secretary (Ex Officio) Dr. Bright Moyo Jnr – Vice Secretary Dr. Tamara Kaunda – Treasurer Dr Jean Baptiste Nzaisenga – Committee Member Dr. Isaac Sakala – Committee Member Dr. Sam Musariri – Committee Member February 3, 2020 3,823 views 1 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
News & Media Zambian Mental Health perspective at the World Economic Forum. by admin January 23, 2020 written by admin The Zambia Medical Association (ZMA) Public Health Chairperson – Dr. Naeem Dalal representing Zambian Mental Health perspective at the World Economic Forum. He is the second Zambian Global Sharper to attend this forum that takes place annually in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland. It is the foremost creative force for engaging the world’s top leaders in collaborative activities to shape global, regional and industry agendas at the beginning of each year. The theme of the 2020 meeting is “Stakeholders for a Cohesive and Sustainable World.” Stakeholders for a Cohesive and Sustainable World. Dr Dalal, a current curator of the Lusaka Global Shapers Hub is set to speak at TIME Magazine’s ‘The Youth Health Mental Crisis’ panel discussion. Dr Dalal will be bringing a Zambian perspective to Davos 2020 to ensure that world leaders continue to focus on mental health and turn their commitments and investment on mental health into action over the next year. January 23, 2020 3,489 views 1 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
News & Media THE ZMA 2019 PRESIDENTS AWARD-THE HIGHEST HONOR OF ZMA AWARDS by admin January 10, 2020 written by admin This award is given to a person who has made exceptional outstanding performance to healthcare and/or the practice of medicine by virtue of their everyday way of life and career. They in carrying out their daily duties in healthcare or otherwise, have highlighted aspects of the practice of the medical profession that capture the essence of selfless service and respect for patients and humanity in general. They continuously express great passion for public service, a virtue that we all must emulate and aspire to attain. Theirs is a distinguished public life laced with unwavering commitment to better the lives of others by addressing particular health matters and offering a selfless service to humanity through their work ethic. This is a life that can be appreciated by those not even in the medical profession and is awarded to individuals whose work transcends the medical profession. The Award Recipient The recipient has a distinguished record of academic and research achievements, hospital management, and high-level public administration. She is the founding Vice Chancellor for the Levy Mwanawasa Medical University, the first purpose-built health training Public University offering health profession education and training. Prior to this appointment, the recipient held the positions of Permanent Secretary Training in the Ministry of Health (MOH), Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs, and Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Community Development, Mother and Child Health. In her career as an academician at the University of Zambia (UNZA), she rose from Senior Lecturer to her current professorial rank. Her 40-year career in hospital administration included four years as the Managing Director of the University Teaching Hospital (UTH), Zambia’s largest hospital. As a researcher and pediatrician, she has published extensively in the areas of neurology, neonatology, HIV/AIDS, and child sexual abuse in reputable journals. The Award recipient is currently the Vice Chancellor, Senior Consultant Pediatrician at Levy Mwanawasa Medical University. AWARDS/HONORS 1973 1st prize – Sir Ian Macadum for Best Student in Surgery/UNZA 1973 1st prize –Best Student in Obstetrics and Gynaecology/UNZA 1973 1st prize –Best Student Paediatrics/ UNZA 1973 MBChB Best graduating student /UNZA 1997 Received Merit Award for best clinical teaching skills funded by Department for International Development (DFID) The ZMA 2019 Presidents Award (Highest honor of ZMA Awards) was Professor Elywn Nachanya Chomba., January 10, 2020 2,581 views 1 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
News & Media THE ZMA 2019 YOUNG DOCTORS AWARD by admin January 9, 2020 written by admin This award celebrates a young doctor who has been in practice for a few years in which he/she has shown distinguished service in the practice of modern medicine. The individual would have shown exceptional and outstanding medical professionalism, ethical conduct, innovation and/or commitment to practice of medicine within the available resources.This doctor exhibits unlimited potential, the exact representation of the enthusiasm the health sector requires and upon which the beacon of hope is built in an identified field of the profession adding to improved healthcare outcomes. The Award recipient for the ZMA 2019 Young Doctors Award was Dr.Arnold Bhebhe. He is currently a 3rd year registrar in the division of neurosurgery and is a member of College of Surgeons for Central, Eastern and Southern Africa (COSECSA) pursuing a fellowship in neurosurgery January 9, 2020 2,579 views 1 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
News & Media Gender Based Violence, The Youth Speak Out. by admin December 7, 2019 written by admin As a community we have the responsibility to ensure that we protect, provide and empower our young generation especially the girl child. At the aerobics session today, we has a shared experience from Margaret. Margaret is a Lusaka resident who shared her story of over a decade of GBV in her marriage. Her message was to the youth. She reports her son decided to take matters into his hands and empowered his mom (Margaret) to seek help from Victim Support Unit. Margaret requests the youth to help women and many others to break their cycle of GBV. “Youth need to help because if it was not for my son, I was just waiting, I did not know what to do as society and communities say this is a marriage. that was our generation. I was married in 1997, my first born was born in 1998. 1997 to 2013, I was living with GBV. My first born helped me get out of the cycle of GBV.” Zambia Medical Association, Public Health chair Dr. Dalal Naeem echoed Margaret’s story and expressed concern as there are many Margaret’s living among us today. Dr Dalal explained that GBV can be physical violence, psychological and emotional violence. He urges citizens to come forward and seek medical attention as many feel health care providers will judge. However he expressed that as Health Care providers and doctors, We will not judge GBV. We will not blame GBV. We will listen to GBV. We will not tell GBV what to do. We will not make GBV report the case to the police, until and unless they are ready to. We want what’s best for GBV’s well-being. Zambia Medical Association joined the global community in commemorating 16 Days of GBV in partnership with Whisper a dream foundation, Team Busy, Zambia Sugar, Russian Science and cultural center, Lusaka Global Shapers Hub and Diamond TV In keeping with the theme, ZMA thanks Whisper A dream foundation and all partners for bringing light to the 2019 theme of GBV which is “Orange the World: Generation Equality Stands against Rape!” December 7, 2019 2,332 views 1 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
News & Media World Prematurity Day by admin November 15, 2019 written by admin Celebrated internationally on November 17th, World Prematurity Day (WPD) acknowledges the journeys of preterm infants and their families as well as raises awareness of the challenges faced by children born preterm and their families. This is ever so important as the incidence of preterm birth, worldwide, is increasing rapidly. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), every year an estimated 15 million infants worldwide are born preterm (over 3 weeks early). Sadly, the complications of preterm birth are among the leading causes of death in children under five. All infants born preterm require immediate and significant medical care posing unexpected challenges — emotional and financial — to their parents and family system. November 15, 2019 2,442 views 1 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
News & Media HPCZ will not renew Practicing Certificates for Practitioners-not-Undertaking CPD (Continuing Professional Development) by admin November 15, 2019 written by admin The Health Professions Council of Zambia (HPCZ) has disclosed that it will no longer renew Practicing Certificates for health practitioners who do not undertake Continuing Professional Development (CPD) to improve their knowledge and skills. HPCZ Registrar and Chief Executive Officer Bwembya Bwalya says CPD is a prerequisite for renewal of Practicing Certificates and it is, therefore, mandatory that health practitioners produce evidence of having engaged in Continuing Professional Development. Mr. Bwalya has urged practitioners to utilise the various forms of CPD that include short training, attending lectures, clinical meetings and seminars among others. Continuing Professional Development ensures that practitioners retain their capacity to practice safely, effectively and legally within their evolving scope of practice. https://web.facebook.com/Mwebantu/videos/431963707391887 November 15, 2019 4,289 views 2 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
News & Media Texila University: Public Health Emergencies -The Role of Public Health Professionals by admin November 7, 2019 written by admin Last evening, Texila American University invited the Zambia Medical Association President, Dr.Samson Chisele to grace the occasion as Guest of Honour at the University’s discussion dubbed ‘Public Health Emergencies-The Role of Public Health Professionals’. It was an insightful talk that highlighted the importance of public health professionals,the strides they have made as well as challenges being faced. In attendance was Texila American University Vice Chancellor Dr. Vijayakumar Rajarathinam and other medical doctors. The night was followed with a networking dinner… Zambia Medical Association wishes to thank the University for the opportunity to be a part of this important discussion. November 7, 2019 2,702 views 2 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
News & Media Health Literacy Under the Tree. by admin October 21, 2019 written by admin Zambia Medical Association sucessfully held a full day workshop tailored to community members of Lubasi Village. The workshop was a health literacy outreach in partnership with NEXT Einstein forum as part of Africa Science week. Focussed group discussions promoting health seeking behaviours where held with the comunity on the following topics: Mens health. (Prostate/ Sexually Transmitted Diseases) Womens health. Hygiene habits. Adolescents health (puberty and menstrual care) First Aid for; snake bites, insect bites, drowning and burns care. Participants walked away with knowledge on how to make reusable pads as they where taught how to step by step. Participants also walked away with insect bite ointments and how to apply them.The day ended with a Question and Answer feedback from the participants and personal one on one sessions from the village members. ZMA would like to thank Dr Sompwe Chanda, Dr Sarah Nyangu and Dr Matolase Mtonga who spent the whole day facilitating the workshops and focussed group discussions with the support of the ZMA public Health Chair, Dr Dalal Naeem. Congratulations to Dr Sompwe Chanda who in recognition by ZMA was nominated for the Women in Science award by Next Einstein Forum. Dr Sompwe was shortlisted and awarded with 6 other women for her continued strides she has made in Zambia for her contribution to Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics. October 21, 2019 2,319 views 0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
News & Media No woman should die while giving birth understanding caesarean sections by admin September 21, 2017 written by admin One facebooker asked, “Why do you have over 2000 C/sections a year in one hospital alone?” .During my childhood, i never heard of a woman giving birth by C/section or undergo an operation but i vividly remember many women in the neighbourhood never coming back home after being admitted in “labour”. The question by the facebooker reminds me of the many questions people have. I have learnt and grown up knowing many beliefs about pregnancy and childbirth. One such belief is “inchila”. A traditional belief that when a man cheats or has sexual relations with another woman while his wife was in labour or pregnant, his wife would have a difficult delivery or in modern times, would end up having a C/section. I was working in labour ward about 6 years ago when i told my patient that she wont have a normal delivery and that we need to do a C/section because the baby was in breach. I remember being prayed for, though, the grandmother was more interested in casting the demons out of me than praying for God’s wisdom to be with me when doing the operation. Many people ask? Why are there so many C/sections today Are hospitals commercialising C/sections? What causes one to have a C/section? Does a man have to cheat for the wife to undergo a C/section? Quite difficult questions i believe especially that they border on our African beliefs. What causes C/sections? During my formative years of medical practice working in labour ward, i learnt of one common problem of labour…..obstructed labour. A general term which means that labour is not progressing as expected or baby is failing to move down the birth canal. Most C/sections are as a result of obstructed labour. The causes of obstructed labour are easily remembered as the 3 P’s: Powers, Passenger and the Passage. Powers refers to the problems with the uterus which can range from weak contractions to uncoordinated contracts. The Passenger refers to the baby! The commonest problem with the passenger (baby) is a condition called cephalo-pelvic Disproportionate (CPD) simply meaning the baby’s head is too big to pass through the birth canal or vice versa. Other problems with the passenger can be due to breech presentation or hydrocephalus (abnormal accumulation of water in the baby’s head) which can be a difficult delivery in most women. The Passage refers to the birth canal, where the baby passes during delivery. This is mostly affected by the bony pelvis abnormalities. They range from contracted pelvis, to android pelvis ( pelvis shaped like a man’s). Trauma to the pelvis can contribute significantly to distortion of the birth canal. Other recognisable causes of contracted pelvis in poor countries like Zambia are childhood malnutrition which results in stunting and short stature. Delayed labour can also be caused by obesity and diabetes in the mother resulting in fetal macrosomia a condition characterised by having a very big baby normal and/or having birth weight above 4kg. Such babies may get stuck during childbirth. Why are C/sections common today? One of the simplest reasons is that there are many more hospitals with qualified doctors capable of diagnosing obstructed labour and performing C/sections.Secondly, evidence has shown that there are better maternal and fetal outcome when a c/section is done early during obstructed labour. By performing a C/section early during obstructed labour, maternal complications like postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) excessive bleeding after delivery and , child birth injuries and use of delivery instruments to force the baby out are avoided. The last reason is mostly medico-legal. The fear by doctors to lose a baby which can result in a legal dispute. Are hospitals commercialising C/sections? One blogger once accused the medical fraternity of rushing to perform C/sections for commercial reasons. We should appreciate that the health care industries is one of the tightly regulated industries across the global. WHO recommends that the rate of C/sections should be between 10-15% of all deliveries. There is a clear correlation between c/section rates near 10% and reduced maternal and neonatal mortality. However, there is no benefit with c/section rates above 10%. Therefore, the 10% mark is a performance benchmark for all hospitals across the globe including our own hospitals here in Zambia. So hospitals with lower rates are bench-marked against their maternal mortality. If their rates of maternal deaths are high compared to the rates of C/sections, such hospitals are taken to task and interventions are put in place to improve the C/section rates. Hospitals with higher C/section rates too are interrogated and appropriate interventions put in place. So the public is assured that the rates may seem to be increasing, but there are tight controls that ensures that we remain within the normal ranges appropriate for each hospital. In conclusion, C/section has nothing to do with the behaviour of the male spouse though the tradition itself is important as it maintains decency in homes. I should also mention that decision to do a C/section has nothing to do with the doctor suggesting it being “demon possessed”. Therefore, every effort should be made to pray for the doctors for meticulous hands rather than binding their hands to touch our loved ones. C/section have proved to be a life serving operation and many women can attest to that! The causes outlined above can be detected early if all women attended antenatal early especially before 12 weeks or in the first trimester. Lets work together to improve maternal health. No woman should die while giving birth. September 21, 2017 2,883 views 3 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail