President of Zambia, Edgar Lungu is urging leaders to facilitate the use of land for the construction of health facilities.

The government has implemented a project to construct 108 small hospitals all over the country.

Lungu called on the leaders following news of conflicts in certain areas regarding the release of land for the construction of the planned hospitals.

The president stated the project was one of the government’s plans aimed at promoting health services within Zambia.

Speaking during an inspection of works on the construction of a hospital in Mpatamato Township, Lungu said: “I am happy with the progress here but am appealing to our chiefs to give out more land for these projects, let there be no conflict when it comes to identifying areas for putting up hospitals, the hospitals are supposed to serve the communities not the chiefs alone,” he said.

The Zambian president has called on community leaders, chiefs and mayors to help select the optimal areas for the construction of the health facilities.

“We know that there is a project of the construction of mini hospitals, it’s not only on paper but an ongoing project from what we are able to see here today, we will build 108 in phase one and will do even more in the future, this is one of the health interventions that we have put in place to ensure that all Zambians access health services as near as possible,” he added.

Yassah Azah, the area manager of SUSCON Construction Solutions, the firm in charge of the building project, said the 108 mini hospitals were due to be finalised by September 2023. A total of 27 are currently under construction around the country.

Azah added that 76 mini hospitals are scheduled to be completed by the end of 2021.