The Men’s Christian Fellowship of United Church of Zambia, UCZ and the Zambia Childhood Cancer Foundation, ZACCAF are concerned that government does not take back remains of people who die at UTH after being referred from another hospital away from Lusaka.
The two organisations have observed that a lot of people are being referred for specialised treatment in Lusaka and once they succumb to the disease it becomes the responsibility of relatives whom in most cases don’t have money to transport the body back to their home town.
UCZ Men’s Christian Fellowship Representative Wellington Zimba says they are ready to partner with government and other stakeholders to help such families.
He said the fellowship has already started a project that helps patients in hospital, especially those stranded.
And ZACCAF Chairperson, Charity Pikiti said alot of people have found themselves in serious predicament after losing their relative who was reffered to Lusaka for specialist treatment.
The duo was speaking at a burial of a cancer victim at Leopard Hill cemetery yesterday (5th March 2023)in Lusaka who was reffered to UTH from Kasama General Hospital, and later died.
Speaking at the same burial Lukashya MP, George Chisanga, where the deceased come from, observed that such cases are on the increase.
He said there is need to put efforts together and address this problem.
ZACCAF under it’s funeral support program and UCZ Men’s Christian Fellowship, working with Lukashya MP took care of all the funeral expenses.