Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary Kennedy Malama has appealed to health workers across the country NOT to turn away patients who seek health services.
Dr. Malama says the government has directed provincial health directors to ensure that routine health services are enhanced in view of the Covid-19 pandemic.
He told ZNBC news that in some cases the government has had to reorganize the services because there is a risk that a patient may take the infection to the hospital.
The Permanent Secretary explained that it is possible that a patient may spread the Covid-19 during their visit to a health facility.
Dr. Malama said the Ministry of Health has also received reports that some health facilities are turning away people who are NOT wearing masks.
He has appealed to citizens to ensure that they wore a cloth mask because it is mandatory to do so.
You’re not on top of things, you’re pretending to be running the Ministry of Health while health workers are also pretending to be listening to you. Masks have just been added to the list of things that you’re required to go with to clinics especially for maternity. Your workers are the people that leak information about what you do, they don’t have confidence in you. Issue a circular not a press statement
Masks are readily available and if anything our party even decided to donate to the public. Some people especially those from opposition viewed this negatively and in fact forced their members not to obtain a mask from us. That is how evil opposition and some diasporans can be. When your life counts on it, are you surely going to be picky about what your mask looks like ? Let the same hh give the whole country plain masks. Kz
This PS has a good way of saying nothing. So what should health workers do with those coming unmasked after not turning them away? At least give practical guidelines for Health workers to follow than leaving things hanging and open to different interpretations! It should even be made mandatory for anyone visiting the hospital to mask up because the Hospital is like the Homes for the aged who are always in hospitals for things like Diabetes and Hypertension. Why should the PS politicise the need for 100% compliance?
Alternatively, the donated masks should be placed at Hospital entrances for those without to put them on otherwise if we are serious about controlling this thing, we should not be seen to be apologetic about life-saving, Infection Control interventions put in place. Health…
Health workers, please Don’t put your lives at risk. See how your friends who recentlywere sick of COVID were left to fend for themselves, imagine your friends made to use own money to get on public transport to get home after discharge, not even a word on some form of compensation! Shameful how doctors who claim to care so much about patients don’t care about Health colleagues when put in positions of authority! Shameful!
The battle against the rapid spread of COVID-19 infection in Zambia is in total disarray and shambles.
The spread can be slowed down if lockdown is implemented for at least 2 weeks and if we can’t do that then lock down Lusaka and the Copperbelt. Don’t worry about the collapse of the economy because that is inevitable . However, it can be fixed in the future but what about the lives of people? Can the families be able to fix them back from their graves?
Please do something before it is too late.