CHIPATA: As the peculiar case of the child who has survived 44 needles in his body gives credence to the narrative of an effective health system in the country.
President Edgar Chagwa Lungu has ordered the evacuation of Richard Zulu, the three (3) old boy who had 44 foreign objects(needles) lodged in his body.
The President has sent a high powered delegation to Chipata Central Hospital which includes Health Minister Dr Chitalu Chilufya and Presidential Affairs Minister Freedom Sikazwe.
Others are Youth and Sports Minister Moses Mawere and Kasenengwa Lawmaker, Sensio Banda to Chipata Central Hospital to secure the evacuation of the Child.
The team is accompanied by Specialist doctors from the university teaching hospital.
About a month ago, 3 year old Richard Zulu was admitted to Chipata Central Hospital, severely malnaurished and at the brink of death, with foreign objects lodged in his body in a peculiar case that has left people stunned. The foreign objects caused the boys body sever stress as he was unable to feed properly and hence developed a sever case of malnutrition.
His mother, 19 year old Rosemary Jere said that Richard had been a sickly child from the time he was a year old and that she has no idea how the foreign objects had found themselves in the body of the little boy.
She said that having given birth at the tender age of 16 and gotten divorced a whole later from the father of her child Jacob Zulu, her son had to constantly move between her home and her former husband’s home and sometimes the child’s grandparents homes and hence it was difficult for her to pin point just at what stage the objects had been inserted into the child and by whom.
She has a strong suspicion that witchcraft is involved in the matter.
And Dr Chitalu Chilufya is impressed with the way the case of young Zulu has been managed by doctors at Chipata Central Hospital.
He said that in the quest for universal health coverage, the government of President Edgar Lungu had not only improved infrastructure for health around the country but had also placed skilled human resource for health in all health facilities and Chipata Central was a living testimony evidenced by the way they had handled the complicated case of the young boy.
The Child who weighed in at a miserable 7 KGs when he was first admitted to Chipata Central Hospital where he was referred to from Naluseche Prison Clinic, now weighs a comfortable 9.2 KGs which is normal for a child his age.
Dr Chilufya said that the decision by the President to have the child evacuated is to ensure everything at this critical point goes well in removing the remaining 19 niddles some of which are lodged in the liver of the child.
And Mr Sikazwe has paid glowing tribute to the experts at Chipata Central Hospital for the amazing job that has been done on the child.
He Sikazwe has commended the team work, dedication and passion of the staff at the hospital who he described as professionals who have made the country proud.
Meanwhile, Mr Mawere has condemned some retrogressive traditional practices in the communities which disadvantage innocent citizens especially children.
He said that as youth minister, he was truelly saddened at the development of the little boy with needles in his body.
He said that he would work closely as member of Parliament for Chipata Central with the necessary authorities to see to it that the matter was investigated and seen to its logical conclusion, sentiments which where echoed by Mr Banda, the Kasenengwa Lawmaker.
Dr Chilufya said this is what the PF government under the able stewardship Mr Lungu means when they say Health for all leaving no one behind.
At Precisely 15.00 hrs. The plane evacuating young Richard Zulu left Chipata Airport for Lusaka where the remaining 19 needles will be dislodged from his body/Smarteagles.
