The Chalala Adventist Medical Centre will meet growing demand for Adventist health care in nation's capital.
A new Adventist outpatient multi-disciplinary health centre will be built in Chalala, eight kilometers from the city centre of Lusaka, Zambia’s capital. The centre will operate using innovative methods of staff retention and remuneration that will help to attract more Adventist health professionals into denominational work.
The demand for Adventist health care is growing in Lusaka due to growing demand fueled by an increased population and the exceptional reputation earned by the Lusaka Eye Hospital, Lusaka Dental Clinic and the Lusaka Adventist Clinic.
“One of the challenges of opening new healthcare institutions is attracting sufficient Adventist doctors into denominational work,” said Harrington Akombwa, president of the Zambian Union Conference. “Many of our church members who are health professionals have expressed a desire to contribute towards the mission of the church but working full time for us is not always desired or possible. This has encouraged us to consider new and innovative ways to attract new professionals into health ministry without requiring doctors to resign from their current employers,” Akombwa said.
The project began ten years ago with a donation of land from the city, originally for the purpose of constructing accommodation for the new Lusaka Eye Hospital. The costs of environmental connections were paid for by AHI.
“Later, AHI brought the idea of establishing a multi-specialty medical centre that would broaden the range of medical services we are offering in Lusaka. We praise God that we were able to secure such prime residential land so close to the nation’s capital where demand for our services will be high,” said Akombwa, “Our team has worked very hard with Dr. Richard Hart to enable us to reach this point. We are grateful for the efforts of Adventist Health International and General Conference Health Ministries for supporting us throughout this process.”
The Chalala Adventist Medical Centre will initially offer services in general medicine, pediatrics, ophthalmology, dental, laboratory and pharmacy.
The 10 acre parcel of land is debt free and half of the US$1,000,000 budget to build stage one was bequeathed by an alumnus of Loma Linda University.
It is planned that the centre’s operating profits will be used to fund future stages of the hospital’s development and support a number of highly utilised but less profitable regional hospitals located in rural areas.
In time the centre will be developed to offer a medical and surgical hospital and multi-specialist centre.
Dr. Richard Hart, president of Adventist Health International and Dr. Peter Landless, health ministries director of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventist Church offered words of encouragement at an on-site dedication ceremony, witnessed by around 100 health care leaders and professionals from Southern Africa and the USA. Paul Ratsara, president of the Southern Africa - Indian Ocean Division offered the prayer of dedication.
The dedication ceremony took place at the conclusion of the first regional Global Health Conference in Southern and East Central Africa and has given birth to major plans to explore the creation of a division-wide healthcare system in the Southern Africa - Indian Ocean Division.
“The time is right for Southern Africa to benefit from integration,” said Hart at the conclusion of the regional Global Health Conference in Lusaka, Zambia.
“Integration will create greater economy and efficiency in purchasing, financial accounting, IT and human resources management. It will also give staff greater career prospects among our 15 hospitals and health centres, 24 clinics and 22 dispensaries. It will give an enhanced sense of belonging to our valued staff, “ said Ratsara.
“Words cannot express our gratitude for the financial support and professional development offered by the team at Advenitst Health International, Loma Linda University and the Health Ministries Department of the General Conference.”
Adventist Health International (AHI) is a multinational, nonprofit corporation with headquarters in Loma Linda, California. AHI was established to provide coordination, consultation, management, and technical assistance to hospitals and health care services operated by the Seventh-day Adventist Church, primarily in developing countries. AHI is not a funding agency and depends on various organizations, foundations, governments, and individuals to provide financial assistance.
AHI currently works together with 30 hospitals in 25 countries.
“We thank AHI and the General Conference Health Ministries for hosting this conference. This is the first time in the history of our Division that all leaders of our healthcare institutions have met together in one venue and this has afforded us all the opportunity to network, share ideas and burdens and pray for the growth of our health care work in Southern Africa. Partners are key to this growth and we praise God for the sacrifice of many donors who have made additional development of health care in our division possible. We are deeply grateful,” said Ratsara.
