The Ministry of Health has apologised for naming Pizza Hut and Mika Hotel as being cholera infected when their results are not yet out.
In a statement, Ministry of Health Head of Communications and External Relations Stanslous Ngosa blamed the mistake on a “mix up.”
Mr Ngosa said, “Dear colleagues! Kindly be advised that the Debonairs referred to during the press briefing is at Levy Mall and not Woodland. Samples collected from Mika and Pizza Huts awaits results. We apologise for the mix up,” Mr. Ngosa.
Briefing on Friday morning, Health Minister Dr Chitalu Chilufya announced that swabs collected from the said outlets had tested positive for cholera-causing bacteria.
And PizzaHut says it maintains the highest standards of hygiene at all its stores.
“We would like to inform the public that reports about our store being closed due to links to the Cholera outbreak are untrue. As a global brand we continuously train and try to maintain the highest standards possible . We have the following in place as our minimum standard.”
“All staff wash hands every 20 minutes with soap and sanitiser – all work surfaces cleaned regularly but sanitised every 2hrs without fail. Sanitiser buckets at all work stations which are changed every 4hrs – Sanitiser solutions are tested to maintain the correct level of anti bacterial solutions,all staff wear single use disposable gloves when prepping food – All staff have valid Food Handlers certificates this means they have been tested medically to work. Anyone is welcome to request to see any of this in any of our stores upon arrival.”
Meanwhile, Minister of Health Chitalu Chilufya has disclosed that his ministry has so far collected 144 water samples and swabs from various sources to test for cholera traces.
Speaking when he addressed the media in Lusaka Dr. Chilufya said of the 144 water samples collected, 99 have been tested so far and 34 have proved to be contaminated with Cholera.
Dr. Chilufya said government has also extended inspections to all food outlets because food stuff contamination is one of the major carriers of the cholera epidemic.
He has since advised residents of Lusaka to maintain high hygienic standards if the fight against the cholera epidemic is to be fought.
Dr. Chilufya said among the food outlets that have been put on high alert are Pick n Pay woodlands, Debonairs Levy, a Bakery in Matero, while Kumunshi Restaurant in the showgrounds has been closed down.
He said the ministry has started the testing of food handlers in all eating places especially in up market restaurants.
Dr. Chilufya said government will take tough but compassionate measures to ensure that all testing guidelines are implemented.
He has commended the University of Zambia for shutting down the institution in the wake of Statutory Instrument number 79.
Dr. Chilufya said the ministry is also in the process of burying shallow wells as safe water is cardinal in the fight against cholera.
He said cleaning up of markets is still ongoing, as they remain closed and shall only be opened once it is established to be fit.
Dr. Chilufya said government is working swiftly to ensure that the epidemic is contained and will advise when to open markets.
What a blunder!
Is everything ok with this Stanslous? A mix up? How pathetic
Ngosa..Didn’t you verify Press statement for Minister of Health? Be serious
This Ngosa with his Minister Chitalu Chilufya are not fit for purpose. They both talk loud and say nothing. The labour of Chilufya is the the failure of the authorities to o=contain cholera which would easily have been achieved as the first cases started before the rains came but the response was lackluster. Chilufya and his incompetent team should be charged for criminal negligence. Look at the nonsense happening with the anti Kalaba protests in Luapula!!
While Pick ‘n’ Pay Woodlands was said to have been contaminated, it was not closed, it was business as usual, they weren’t even issued with any form of sanction whatsoever. So this whole exercise is turning into a sham.
What’s surprising with this PF government is that whenever they have state functions, they hire mobile toilets at great cost, but they fail to provide sufficient toilet facilities in the CBD, or in the high density areas. Further, the cost of one Fire tender who have gone a long in providing decent toilet facilities.
It was same thing with presidential ballots, mix up.
Need a bribe to named cholera free
Unfit to serve ,the clueless minister of health doesn’t know what his right hand or left hand is doing. We should be having anti Chilufya protests instead of anti Kalaba demos.
Thank you for the clarification, Stanslous and MoH. Thank you for your tireless efforts Hon Dr Chilufya. Those who doubt that Dr Chilufya is an action man need their heads examined.
We know that some known twits are issung statement that cholera should not be politicised while doing just that. Bena fyonse ba fwimena pama vote.
The best effort is one of prevention ,Chilufya is a reaction oriented incompetent buffoon.
apf cadre, I support you in this regard, even currency rebasing was politicised.Any negative effects of rebasing? Zero!!!That’s what the inkonomic political leader of a 3 side party claimed.Street vending control is a delicate venture, unless the ruling party and all political parties speak one in voice against it.
Benangu ati we have been advised not to go to Chipata, the truth is that their officials failed to organise people to attend the intended card renewal in Chipata. Koma mwana uyu afunika ku mu twala kwa doctor baka muone bongo ngati ali bwino. Sure wa choka kutukana a ngoni ati ni a koswe a ku m”mawa lelo ati nikuya ku Chipata kuma vote. Siye kupusa uku ka.
Nkala kwamene uko ku mukuni, seo kuno ku Chipata sutu kufuna. Osa dandaula tika ku tunyila mata ngati uchite ntota uwele kuno, cha!!!
Damage has already been done.. Imagine someone entering Mika Hotel then someone else whispers to them, “Did you not read that they too have it according to the ministry of health?” By the time that someone else says it’s not yet confirmed, the person will be rushing home for ‘cover’
Imagine I cancelled my booking last night after I read the article.
No need apologize.. It just means you are working and very alert. We call that collateral damage..
Suable case!
Knee-jerk reaction is synonymous with this PF government. This is what you get when you lower your standards of governance. We have far too many incompetent ministers and there should be consequences. Zambians have resolved to accept and normalize mediocre leadership as a way of life. It’s a bit like when you live in squalor you become blind to the filth around you. The MMD government handled disasters better by far in my opinion.
All due respect, what is the point of conducting any sort of tests of the results are mismanaged? All the effort of people collecting samples compromised by administrative disorganization? Quite embarrassing if you ask me …
The Lusaka water table is contaminated with feaceal matter……the unlined pit latrines and septic tanks all over Lusaka have contaminated the water table and the fact people are drinking from untreated wells and boreholes ……..even if you have a borehole the water is nolonger safe…..
This is when GRZ must look at simple water purification techniques like using the sun’s ultraviolet rays , which kill 99 % of bacteria.
Pleas GRZ because some compound residents can not afford tap water can you investigate the technique used in other countries where plastic water bottles from contaminated wells are places in the sun for 24 hrs…..killing all germs….this is a simple effective immediate solution…
Unfortunately, plastic containers with water when exposed to sunlight can cause ovarian cancer in women.The plastics release cancer-causing toxins.
zambia will soon change and make it better if we diligently work as a team.
This is the idiocy we talk about our civil servants; failing to do simple things. If you can’t do the job, just resign and pursue a different career. Alas, our Zambian civil service is synonymous with people that can’t think or perform their duties.
In an ideal world the business houses that have been wrongful mentioned as having had cholera identified on their promises would sue for damage to standing of the companies and loss of profit from the those that sighted them as being so. Government officials should be careful with their pronouncements as they could destroy businesses in the process.
In an ideal world???
This Corruption ruining Zambia. there is no way an outlet can suffer a mixup during a sensitive period like this one.
mika and Hut must have donated big to officials pockets due to potential loss of business, to reverse the earlier announcement.
PF leaders have plastic legs. they cant even defend their actions.
Too late! You’ve already destroyed their businesses
Mika hotel and pizza hut should sue the Ministry of Health. This is just too dumb and should not be tolerated.
Lungu has failed; his leadership has failed; Lungu and PF are the cause of the disaster; i have been warning you for years about street vending; now people are paying with their lives; all blame should stop at Lungu and not even the sleeping mayor;
Comment:job well done ministry of health
why are /is the learned doc,busy fighting with the effects of cholera when they can eradicate it from the cause.
1-You gave the cadres to run the markets ,bus stations instead of leaned council employee complete with dept of public heath personnel.
2-you allowed people to trade at munyaule market ,and all markets in the city without proper and routinely inspected sanitary facilities like wash rooms /toilets
3-you have allowed beer to be sold in unsanitary bars/taverns/along the streets without due regard of toilets/wash rooms against minimum public health standards as per local authority like LCC .
4-in chunga refuse damp site you have allowed scavengers freely (some taking spoiled foods)possibly to surrounding areas like chunga,matero,zanimuone,chazanga mandevu,etc what ever…
Just as I thought when I read that earlier release. NOBODY – just like in these comments – bothered to CORRECTLY read what they said.
They said they were AWAITING RESULTS and did NOT say they were contaminated.
Comprehension is a tough area of English neh?
Go BACK to the article in this site and double check if you’re doubting!
One assumption and half the nation cries FOUL.
Smh!
My take is this. If Mika and Pizza Hut does not sue the state, then they are contaminated and corrupt. Then they paid someone to be removed from the list. For sure the apology should have come yesterday if truly they are not contaminated.
My advise to Patrons, Go to Mika Hotel and Pizza Hut at your own risk.
Corruption at play
Kalaba is right.