The Minister of Health and Social Services, Esperance Luvindao, has stated that mobile clinics are strategically established to tackle the specific challenges associated with delivering health care in remote and underserved areas.

The statement followed concerns raised by IPC MP Boniface Susiku regarding the limited services provided by mobile clinics.

Dr. Luvindao stated that prior to mobile clinics being set up, the ministry considered factors such as the population growth and disease prevalence as well as the evolving health care needs of the population.

She also noted that sometimes it has been difficult to offer complete services with respect because of issues like a lack of privacy and poor facilities at some outreach locations, which led the ministry to start building basic structures at these sites to provide the necessary services.

"The Ministry of Health and Social Services is also currently busy with what has been widely known as community health posts, a class E tier of services that are provided at a lower level than a clinic, which sometimes community members might confuse, as they were supposed to be a clinic, but they don't need those services because these are community health posts and not designated clinics."

The minister said the long-term plan is centred on a phased approach that strengthens community healthcare and ensures sustainable access to services, with structures gradually being transformed first into community health posts.