Zambian Health Delegation in Prague: Preparing Neonatal Ambulance Procurement and a Global Gateway Health Partnership
24.10.2025 / 11:42 | Aktualizováno: 24.10.2025 / 11:51
A high-level delegation from the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Finance and National Planning of the Republic of Zambia, accompanied by the Zambia Medicines and Medical Supplies Agency (ZAMMSA), completed a scoping mission to the Czech Republic focused on two priorities: preparing a contract for specifically adjusted neonatal ambulances from Czech manufacturers and shaping the pipeline for an EU Global Gateway health initiative coordinated by the Czech Health Technology Institute (CHTI).
The delegation was received at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic by Director General Kateřina Sequensová, and held substantive consultations with senior representatives of the Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic and the Ministry of Industry and Trade. Key engagements included a meeting with the Director General of the Section of the European Union and Foreign Trade, Mr David Müller, and a meeting with the Deputy Minister at the Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic.
Alongside the government talks, the programme featured targeted site visits to Czech healthcare manufacturers and facilities. At Royax, the delegation reviewed factory capabilities and configuration options for neonatal ambulances suited to Zambia’s referral pathways and terrain. Meetings at LINET introduced integrated solutions for neonatal and intensive-care units, while Comedeq presented turnkey concepts for primary health care and mother-and-child facilities. A visit to BTL highlighted Czech expertise in medical equipment relevant to cardiology and rehabilitation. To see technologies in clinical context, the delegation toured regional hospitals (Mělník; Kladno), the Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, Czech Technical University, and the Center for Medical Simulations at the 1st Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, focusing on workforce training and simulation-based education.
Results and next steps. The mission met its objectives. Zambian counterparts refined a clear set of technical specifications for neonatal ambulances and complementary equipment, identified implementation pathways with the CHTI-led consortium, and reviewed concessional financing options available under Global Gateway. The parties agreed to finalise specifications and align the financing model, with the shared aim of moving swiftly to procurement and project preparation.
With a practical roadmap under the Memorandum of Understanding signed in May 2025, Czechia and Zambia are poised to take their cooperation to a new level—combining concrete improvements in health outcomes with durable industrial partnerships that support development and economic cooperation.