Communities’ lax Covid-19 approach worries DHO
The Blantyre District Health Office (DHO) has expressed worry with people’s laxity in adhering to Covid-19 preventative measures in the wake of the second wave of the pandemic.
The DHOs director for health and social services Dr. Gift Kawalazira said this in Blantyre on Thursday during a media briefing.
He said it is disappointing that people are not observing the precautionary measures, adding it is the reason Covid-19 cases are on the rise, particularly in the district which he described as the epicentre of the pandemic in the country.
Some of the common behaviours Kawalazira pointed out include failure to observe physical distancing as seen in overcrowded public places like markets, not wearing face masks and not fully utilising hand-washing facilities.
He further bemoaned patients’ delay in seeking medical care as a major cause of increased cases of severe admissions at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (QECH) where most Covid-19 patients in the Southern Region are treated.
Said Kawalazira: “People are taking too long to seek medical care and it becomes very difficult for us to manage their condition when they come to the hospital too late, resulting in preventable deaths.”
He, therefore, urged the public to rush to hospital should they experience Covid-19 symptoms, adding there are over 20 Covid-19 testing facilities and more mobile teams for contact tracing in the Southern Region alone.
Kawalazira said to avoid overwhelming QECH, the DHO is set to open a field Covid-19 hospital with a bed capacity of about 300 with support from Medecins Sans Frontiers (MSF).
He further hailed health workers for working tirelessly in fighting the virus, stressing on the need for the public to do their part by adhering to preventive measures.
“This war is for all of us. We are relying on the community to do their best by being in the first line of defence by adhering to the measures that are being advocated by the Ministry of Health. Consider everyone as a potential carrier,” said the doctor.
Last week, Society of Medical Doctors in Malawi president Victor Mithi told The Nation that the country was in a crisis due to Covid-19 and the health system is overwhelmed.
On the impending recruitment of 1 380 health workers as announced by President Lazarus Chakwera, Mithi said although the move will help ease the burden on health workers, it will not solve the current challenges.
He said: “This is because when the health workers test positive, they withdraw from the system, creating more gaps. The system needs an additional 4 000 medical personnel for it to cope and have enough reservoirs.”
Blantyre has registered 4 084 Covid-19 cases since the beginning of this year, with the highest number of 1 539 cases in the second week of January alone.
Nationally, Malawi had as of yesterday recorded a cumulative 23 963 Covid-19 cases, including 702 and 8 615 recoveries. Of these cases, 1 953 are imported infections while 22 010 are locally transmitted.
