The Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ) has paved the dilapidated driveway at Kalingalinga clinic at a cost of five hundred and fifty thousand kwacha (ZMW 550, 000). The newly paved driveway has since been handed over to the Ministry of Health (MoH).

Speaking at the official handover ceremony held at Kalingalinga Clinic, CIDRZ Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Izukanji Sikazwe in a speech read on her behalf by the Chief Operating Officer Mr. Anthony Musaluke, said that her organisation’s Corporate Social Responsibility gesture of paving the grounds of the health facility at Kalingalinga, which were badly affected by the flooding especially during the rainy season, resonates well with CIDRZ’s  mission statement of improving access to quality healthcare in Zambia through innovative capacity development, exceptional implementation science and research, and impactful and sustainable public health programmes.

Dr. Sikazwe said that CIDRZ’s 20 years of existence and partnership with MoH demonstrates her organisation’s commitment and dedication towards supplementing governments’ efforts in ensuring that all Zambian citizens have access to quality health care services.

She said CIDRZ was delighted that from now on wards, healthcare workers and patients accessing the clinic would no longer be inconvenienced during the rainy season.

Commissioning the paved driveway, Lusaka District Medical Director, Dr. Rhodah Mkandawire expressed happiness for the partnership that MoH has been enjoying with CIDRZ. She appealed to other cooperating partners in Lusaka district and the country at large to emulate the deeds of CIDRZ in aiding health facilities.

“Coming from a situation where an ambulance once got stack before it could leave to take a referred patient and the district office had to order another ambulance to come in and help the situation, reveals how great an impact this is to the facility which has not only been face lifted but also will translate into improved healthcare service provision, “Dr. Mkandawire said.  

She said that the clinic services at the facility had a catchment population of over 117,000 and receives referrals from other facilities within Lusaka and Chelstone sub district due to special services like the ART services supplemented by the lab services being offered by CIDRZ.

She urged members of staff at the clinic to keep up the spirit of hard work, as CIDRZ had paved the way to ensure that kalingalinga clinic is improved to become the centre of excellence for the services that it provides from ART, TB, maternal and child health services.

“We are aware that the initial plan did not include the ambulance driveway, but we wrote to CIDRZ to include it and they responded by including it for which we are grateful,” she said.

She further encouraged all the members of staff to take good care of the facility and ensure that the service provision matches with the good environment that it has benefited from CIDRZ.

Speaking on behalf of the members of staff and patients of Kalingalinga Clinic, the facility in charge Mrs Ireen Silavwe expressed her sincere gratitude to CIDRZ for the job well done of face-lifting the facility.

“The works come because of the good relationship that we share with the CIDRZ management. The team has been very helpful in many other areas of need and I wish to acknowledge Mr. David Ojok director of CIDRZ Central Laboratory and Mr. Mabvuto Phiri Operations Manager at the lab who were very instrumental to ensure that this project takes off and completed, “Mrs Silavwe said.

And speaking on behalf of the Kalingalinga community, Mr Peter Ziba thanked CIDRZ for the great impact they are making in the community which falls outside the scope of business they are known for. He further urged the organisation to continue extending their helping hand to even other facilities in the communities.