By Brian Matambo | 16 February, 2026

Dear Readers,

Health care is sacrosanct. More so, care for the elderly. But in this account involving an elderly senior citizen in Chingola, the story raises questions about what we want for health care services in Zambia. The question is: what is the policy in Zambia regarding health care when it comes to empathy for the patient?

This 79-year-old lady is my mother, Ediness Y. Matambo. A mother of 8, a grandmother of 20, and a great-grandmother of 8. Recently, she was driven to Nchanga North Hospital seeking relief from pain. Her problem was not complicated. It was dental.

Two of her upper posterior maxillary molars are cracked and painful. Along the lower gum, six additional teeth are symptomatic, including two mandibular third molars and four mandibular incisors and premolars. She describes a strange sensation, “like cotton strings,” lingering at the posterior aspect of her oral cavity. Eating has become a painful task. For a woman of her age, the ability to chew properly is not optional. It is essential to survival.

From a clinical standpoint, such symptoms would ordinarily warrant assessment. In a 79-year-old patient, cracked upper molars associated with pain, combined with multiple symptomatic lower teeth, may raise the possibility of advanced decay, pulp involvement, periodontal disease, or infection. The reported abnormal sensation at the back of the mouth could suggest underlying inflammatory or infectious processes that merit examination.

In elderly patients, compromised chewing function is not merely a comfort issue but a significant health matter, as difficulty eating can contribute to malnutrition, weight loss, and systemic complications. Prompt examination, appropriate imaging, and a carefully considered treatment plan are typically essential to prevent deterioration and preserve both oral and overall health in a patient of this age.

According to her account, when she went to see a dentist two weeks ago, she waited for approximately two hours. When she was eventually attended to, she says she did not receive what she perceived as a full examination. She reports that there was no detailed inspection of the cracked teeth and no probing of the affected areas. She was informed that she was not sick and that her teeth were “just okay.” She was prescribed Clarithromycin 500 mg and discharged.

“I wondered if it was him who was feeling my pain,” she later reflected.

Pain is personal. “Ichikalipa chumfwa umwine!” And when a patient says they are in pain, especially at 79 years old, the expectation is that their concerns will be carefully evaluated.

If an elderly patient leaves a public health facility feeling unheard, that should concern us all. Whether this reflects an isolated incident, resource constraints, communication breakdown, or broader systemic challenges is a matter that deserves examination. What is clear is that elderly patients require particular sensitivity and care.

Where is the policy framework that guides geriatric care in public health facilities? Is there a clearly implemented protocol that ensures elderly patients are assessed thoroughly? Are health workers supported, supervised, and evaluated in ways that reinforce patient-centred care and empathy?

This is not an attack on overworked staff. Our hospitals operate under pressure, and health workers often face demanding conditions. But respect and basic examination do not require additional infrastructure. They require time, attention, and professional care.

If the current administration prides itself on reform, then reform must also be measured by patient experience. Announcements about health sector improvements should be reflected in the lived experiences of vulnerable citizens. When a 79-year-old woman leaves a hospital still in pain and uncertain about her condition, that gap between policy and practice becomes visible.

My mother’s words cut deep. “When I go to the bank or to any shop,” she says, “they give me respect and help. But at Nchanga North Hospital, it is like it is a bother when we go for health care.”

That comparison is troubling. In Zambia, respect for elders is foundational. A grandmother expects to be listened to. A great-grandmother expects to be given time. If she feels like an inconvenience in a public health facility, that perception should prompt reflection.

This issue extends beyond one dental visit. It raises broader questions about patient experience, accountability, and the protection of elderly citizens within public institutions. If empathy is not consistently reinforced as a standard of care, then patient trust erodes.

At Nchange North Hospital, Mrs Ediness Yowela Matambo did not ask for luxury. She asked to be examined.

If we cannot guarantee that a 79-year-old grandmother in pain will receive care that she perceives as attentive and thorough, then we must ask difficult questions about how compassion is implemented within our health system.

Until the gap between policy and lived experience is addressed, the claim that health care in Zambia is sacrosanct will remain an empty political chorus for party praise singers rather than fully realised.