The National Democratic Congress, NDC, is worried that more Health Care Workers, HWCs, may be infected with the Coronavirus if the government does not prioritize their health and safety during this pandemic.
In a statement issued to the media by Party spokesperson Saboi Imboela, Personal Protective Equipment, PPE, is a must during such pandemics or health emergencies and the government should ensure that the health personnel has them.
‘As you can see, 9 people out of the 72 that have been reported so far are medical staff. This gives us about 13 percent of health personnel being infected. So the more the number rises the more HCWs will be infected and we can’t risk their lives like that,’ NDC President Dr. Chishimba Kambwili said.
Meanwhile, the HCWs talked to have complained that their associations have been talking on their behalf but the government is not listening to them. ‘So what is going on is that no incentives have been given to us and we also don’t have proper PPE. Our duty right now should be to concentrate on the health of our patients but how do we do that without incentives and proper PPE? We can’t just be risking our lives with just words and no written documents like what other countries have done,’ one health personnel explained.
‘The government really needs to do something or it will be like times of cholera… Are you aware that people are made to pay back those little monies they were given from the cholera pandemic in 2017-2018? At the women and newborn hospital, we say no woman should die while giving birth so at the COVID one, why should people get sick while taking care of patients, without even any risk allowances?’ he asked.
‘If other poor countries like Malawi can do that what about us?… For example, Uganda has removed taxes for all front liners and increased their salaries by 50% for 6 months, South Africa has done the same, Malawi, Botswana, but to mention a few. So in those lines, let it be a written document, not just in words. What happens to our families when one dies on duty? We need to be protected and motivated,’ he said.
Dr. Kambwili has complained that the revelation by the HCWs of always running out of PPE like clothes that they are supposed to wear when seeing patients was very unfortunate.
‘Why should our doctors die while saving lives? And on top of that die without any proper incentives? This government needs to have a heart for its people and the way our health personnel is being treated right now is inhuman. They are risking their lives for all of us and the least we can do as a country is to pay them well,’ he said.
I thought coronavirus niyaku vyalo kweka! Ati God is control in the savage nation
Which doctor died naimwe… Everything is copying from America.I
Mano kutumpa aya..
The problem with my brother kambwili is that he sees every thing through a narrow lense. I remember how hard it was to make him see logic when he was still in pf. PPE is currently a challenge in almost every country including in the United kingdom where his estranged wife works as a nurse. It appears kambwili is also suffering from diaspora fever like the bloggers here who criticize. My government is doing its best and this can be seen from the recovery rate and low death rates. I think kambwili should worry more about his wife’s safety in UK
It’s so easy for this twit to open his loudmouth, but when court dates are due for his corruption cases, he reports sick and disappears from public view. What a useless bunch of politicians we have as opposition!!
PPE is a must for every HCW. You signed in and swore to serve life not to be praised or looking for a fat pay check. It’s a career built on empathy and caring if you’re motivated by money I suggest these HCW demand incentives are in a wrong career.
Buffoon par excellent! The man from Mporokoso
Has any doctor died? Does it mean when you contract a disease you are dead? What type leader is this heap of flesh?
Please you fools stop making useless comments about this Covid -19 to show relevance wait when the situation hits Africa.And for a person like Kambwili whose wife works in the UK as a nurse should be the last person to expose ignorance
We have a problem in Zambia course of cadres. If anyone comes up with an idea like honorable Kambwili from the Opposition, cadres will refuse to accept unless the idea is coming from the ruling party. who does that?
World wide health workers are infected does it mean there are using poor PPE, cheap politics
Where is Spax Mulenga? Is he still in detention? People of Chingola would like to know whether Spax is a murderer or not. Bring Spax Mulenga to court.
The issue here is about money .These health workers needs to be paid even before work.
The problem of Africans,Zambia in particularly like free things.
No medical practitioner can treat a Covid 19 without protective clothing, on that point you are liars. No wonder Zambia has full of useless opposition leaders who cannot think wisely because of bitterness.
Ken, How can you ask whether any doctor has died as if just because none has died YET it makes it okay for them to continue being infected. What a sad way of looking at things. And yes corona Is a matter of life and death. Our doctors,nurses need to be protected otherwise let them boycott and let’s see who will care for the patients.
Nga ulefwaya SPAX kamusende we mwine umutwale kumushi kumwenu. Here we do not want him in Chingola.
Kambwili is making a timely warning from what is happening in developed countries with regards to PPE and death of medical personnel.
As for KZ insulting well meaning citizens will not insulate you as public enemy of Zambia. You or impostor, Zambians will not forget that you have harassed, beaten, maimed, humiliated, kidnapped, fired guns and shot Zambians and dehumanise Zambians. Zambians deserve justice and time is coming to get it. Cleansing yourself on this site will not wash up, records, living witnesses exist and testimonies will be in your face.
There is a risk on frontline workers
But that is all over the world.Mr
Kambwili don’t criticize each and
Every thing about the ruling party.
We can even die of blood pressure
Or anything else.
Munadekhane your copy and paste is predictable
A statement is issued by Saboi Imboela but you are showing BUFFOON CK, if Sunday fing Ch**da issued a statement do you show Lazy Lungu or SG Mwila’s photo let’s recognise women as well. I have been saying this time and time again we need to know what Chilufya has put aside fro health workers in terms of PPE…what type of PPE is it? Reusable or disposable…do hospitals as far as Katete at St Francis have PPE for covid-19 fight?
As for risk allowance its none starter…its like Police officer saying we need allowance because crime has increased, this is part and parcel of the job.
Kikikii ba ka mbwili, you should understand the trend. and us Drs we know the risk of such a disease and we havnt lost any Dr. Thumbs Up To Front Liners. Kamwili is a dushbag!
Kambwili, the NDC Chief Insultant. Or is he now the leader?
CKinsultor is dull mwe this is truly his message.
Moving from dull to very dull to extremely dull.
Zambia might not need a CKinsultor in Government ever.