Health Minister Chitalu Chilufya has disclosed that the COVID-19 sample (1) which was carried by Ian Mutambo before his demise in a road traffic accident has been recovered and is being processed in Ndola.
Speaking to journalists during the Ministry’s routine COVID-19 briefings, Dr.Chilufya said that despite the accident other passengers were not at risk because the sample was packaged in line with internationally recognized standards to protect both the courier and conveyors.
“So there is no loss of sample and the packaging was in line with international practice. We do a triple layer packaging and that does not put at risk the courier or the people on the conveyers that should be made extremely clear, ” Dr. Chilufya said, adding: “A triple-layered packaging does not put the transporter or passengers at risk the sample was recovered intact, the sample is being processed in Ndola.”
The Minister also indicated that some social media bloggers had exaggerated figures of the samples to suit there intent but, emphasized that the deceased was only carrying 1 sample.
“I have seen that on social Media there are insinuations about so many samples that were being transported and so many samples have been lost so on and so forth. Let me set the record straight 1, there was one sample and that was packaged in line with internationally recommended recommendations or criteria. That means a triple-layered packaging.“
The Minister maintained that the death of health personnel should not be sensationalized on grounds that the government was also devastated.
And Chilufya said that an investigation has been instituted to establish facts and to see why there was a deviation from the measures established for COVID-19 leading to the death of Lab technician Ian Mutambo of Zambezi District Hospital in a road traffic accident.
Dr. Chilufya says the Provincial Health Director will supervise the investigation which is already underway to establish the facts that led to the accident and what led to the circumstances for transporting COVID-19 samples using public transport.
Speaking during the routine COVID-19 updates in Lusaka, Dr. Chilufya has urged the media particularly bloggers to allow the family to mourn by according them the secrecy during the mourning period.
Dr. Chilufya said the Government will fully support the family to ensure that Ian Mutambo is put to rest in a dignified manner befitting a fallen hero.
He said President Edgar Lungu is saddened and concerned with what transpired in Manyinga District and has ordered a full investigation in the matter.
Dr. Chilufya said he will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that all the facts are established behind the death of Ian Mutambo in a road accident involving a Power Tools Bus which plunged into the Banks of Kabompo River.
Meanwhile, Dr. Chilufya has disclosed that Zambia in the last 24 hours recorded 13 new cases of the COVID-19 pandemic bringing the total number of cases 137.
Dr. Chilufya said a total of 811 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours out of which 13 cases tested positive for the pandemic.
He said 9 of the cases are known contacts to the cases recorded in the past four of whom are from Chilenje Level one Hospital, three through health facilities screening and one through mass screening.
Dr. Chilufya said there was no discharge in the last 24 hours and all patients remain stable in the Government isolation centers.
We just need to get rid of you, Lungu and PF as a whole. This country desperately needs normal leadership.
#BMW-BALLY MUST WIN
#ZNBC- ZAMBIA NEEDS BALLY CHAPWAFYE.
BMW- BALLY MUNTU WESU
craziest acronyms on Facebook so far
ZAMBIA- ZEKISI ADADA MANJE BALLY IN AUTHORITY.
Ine jebele God, Zambians kale kale they know what time it is.
And ba CBU Dr. how many samples does one need to get infected?
Nope you’re wrong Dr ChiFoolya the whole nation was put at risk-one sample can infect the entire bus then survivors go on to infect hundreds of others.Even the super safe nuclear stations do leak sometimes.
So where’s the investigation? ECL is a dull man. How do you investigate someone who is in charge of the Ministry or Operations? First suspend the man so we can have unbiased and clean investigation. Chilufya Chitalu has become so big headed that he is doing everything with impunity. He needs to be controlled.
@Dudelove you don’t push out the pilot while the plane is flying. Unless yo’re suicidal. We all want to see a safe landing in this crisis. Whether you like it or not, the current political leadership and the Ministry of Health are inevitable to navigate the country out of the crisis at this time.
In PF ,even normal people i grew up knowing as normal,are no long longer normal anymore. Its starting to look like PF sort of has a nonentity element that everyone who joins it seems to adopt.I urge u to verify the Covid-19 figures of “2 more cases” too.In his head,this guy only registers small numbers(utunono).Ifukkulu iyo!
As if that makes it better …these people have been in govt too long and they are now so complacent…they are lucky the opposition is slow to react. I remember the way Micheal Sata used to write handwritten letters to RB and publish them in the papers knowing too well that RB would throw them in the bin but couldn’t as he was forced to respond publicly.
Nope Nina Chale when you’re in a whole you stop digging.This PF gov’t has been a failure in so many ways they need to go …you don’t transport dangerous biohazard material in public transport.
@ Nine Chale, what would you do if the pilot is the one being suicidal ?
Whether it was one or a million doesn’t matter you fool. How would you like being put in the same car with a box of Cyanide?
Vote Him Out – Even that number of one sample carried by the technician raises a lot of questions about his so called countrywide mass screening and availability of test kits…journalists there is a lead for you to probe further.
Wir wissen, dass Sie von Ihrer Frau zu Hause gemobbt werden
Only one sample? Well this global crisis began with one chap who took one bite of one bat. Look where we are now.
Sikufele – this is what happens when you have one man with an iron grip on everything including donations and dispersing of funds …I have said that covid-19 has a way of exposing your weaknesses but the usual noisemakers thought I was negative. PF want to raise funds for next year hence Chilufya at helm if Lazy Lungu was serious he would have had the Chief Medical Officer at MOH heading the taskforce but he wouldnt as it would counter against him…these are very very selfish and greedy people.
In other countries the use drones for medical resupply in disaster areas but us we have highly corrupt short sighted tins who see nothing beyond next elections.
“….He said President Edgar Lungu is saddened and concerned with what transpired in Manyinga District and has ordered a full investigation in the matter.
Dr. Chilufya said he will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that all the facts …..”
Condolences to the family …..
But how come lungu did not show such urgency when our people were being gassed and lynched ?
Whatever is said is far from convincing…”1 sample” on a bus is wrong. Whether the specimen was wrapped in a thousand layers of cotton is immaterial…I feel the pain at the loss of this young man in a greedy system. People have offered you so much money which you can use appropriately. But no…”use public transport…Ndola is nearby…” I hate to say this…I have lost faith in you, sir.
The arrogance with which Dr Chitalu Chilufya trivialises Zambian lives puts him next to the devil, hint of remorse absent. He is a shame to PF – next PF leader!
Maybe they have never heard about “patient 31” in south Korea. One can be too many in viral disease outbreaks.
Negative comments have come from bamutasha kali kwisaya.This is what sadists were eagerly praying for happen!!
This is disappointing where is my south African clone. He was meant to be covering for me while I was busy working.
Hope family won’t be swayed to hold funeral in Lusaka-Gomora.
We lost a bread win the first born of mr mutambo the touch bear into the future.it is sad our brother is gone mufubushi village is in pain.
This Minister is lying. If the tests are ongoing, there is no way, only one sample was being transported. Maybe one sample was recovered.
One or half sample does not matter you messed up and stop justifying those lapses. Is it too much to say sorry. Sin came to earth through one person.
This is not a good explanation or excuse sir. Please safe guard the health of the nation.
Chilufyanya a lufyanya again!
Sometimes, it’s better to concede that mistakes were made and that is why investigations are being instituted. Chilufyanya is not even remorseful after his ministry put an innocent soul in harm’s way.
Doesn’t ZEMA License regulations on transportation of Biomedical waste and specimens specify the use of a specially licensed vehicle by ZEMA? Or is ZEMA only strict on private institutions and not GRZ players? The fact that MOH has allowed cutting of corners in the past does not make the practice right! You guys have no leg to stand on on this case and the family of the deceased must see to it that Justice is done!
Is this man still a Minister?
Let us pump some sense in this minister . It is still unacceptable that he was made to carry a biohazard material on public transport be it one or a thousand .Next time send Lusambo’s or Kaizer’s GRZ cars to pick those dangerous samples because the two tw@ts are stinking rich.
Very sad reading. We pray for comfort of the bereaved family.
Ati only one sample! Why are u behaving as though u are not a medical doctor? Just to give u an idea of how wrong your decision was: if other passengers knew that there was vivid 19 specimen on the bus, do u think they would have jumped on that bus? Please guys I know that we black people are a problem when it comes to using brains properly but we can surely do better than this. If it was a PF function, u would have used chopper to fly musicians and yet here is a young man who was undertaking one of the greatest assignments and u decide to put him on bus where u also risked lives of other people and through those other people, u risked lives of all zambians. No wonder the Chinese have decided to colonize us. We are just a problem and a risk to the rest of humanity.
……covid 19……
We lost a bread win the first born of mr mutambo the touch bear into the future.it is sad our brother is gone mufubushi village is in pain.
Underplaying the risk factor does nothing in helping your case Dr. Chilufya. The least you could have done was to apologise to the Zambian people and to the bereaved family. The ball stops with you before it is passed on to the President. Do not play with people’s emotions at a time like this. I hope you will do the right thing like owning up to the mistake.
This is good news giving the circumstances. This young man was clearly passionate about helping others and I am sure the last thing he would have wanted were people getting infected. He is matyre and deserves to be recognized for his efforts just like all the men and women in uniform who are keeping us alive. We thank.you all. Kz
Are you sure that the other samples were not just vandalised or stolen? You know what happens where there is an accident, e.g. when a fuel tanker is involved.
The PF and UPND cadres at site had no idea it was a COVID-19 sample, they just thought it was something that they could sell.
Maybe Hamble should be directing his “donations” to such needy areas. But then there are no votes in that area are there?
He even casually tries to justify it by stating ‘it was one sample and it was recovered’. How pathetic! That’s not the point. It should not have been on a passenger bus, period. The risk was there all the time in any case – does it matter how many ‘triple layers’ it was put in? Is it the ‘black box’ or ‘flight recorder box?
Dr chilufya you being the head of this crusade you should have drawn up a risk assessment on how to transfer biohazard materials from point A to point B.I take it you have enough money and manpower for this crusade.
if you don’t have any of the above ask your boss to ask some ministers to surrender their cars and use them to transport these biohazard materials from source to the identified laboratories. whether it will be one or plenty .Do not risk the communities by trying to save money for PF’s rain day .What a joke
Also he says ” we used international standards to package the sample”.So bane, ni uzeni, how do u package a parcel using International standards? For it to move locally from Zambezi compound to Ndola? Using a Local standard Power Tools bus? Is a local passenger bus also part of that international packaging tandards? Its now becoming clear this rogue Doctor all along has only been speaking his mind. Nothing truthful. Hahahahahah…. international packaging on a Power Tools bus?
Loss of lives in the hands of thieves PF crooks and thugs. One question, since the the tech was carrying sample of COVID-19 and unfortunately he died in route to it’s destination. Are the survivors on that bus gonna be all be tested since they might have been exposed to the virus. Zambia has sunk like a Titanic in our own eyes due to poor leadership of Ka Lungu.
And have heard some village people in this country pushing for nuclear power plant, a nuclear power plant with such laizer faire attitude.
So what does one sample mean? Ni virus cabe imozi, olo ni ka botolo kamozi olo bwanji? Apa wina afunika kusiya cabe ncito koma.
@Nine Chale, remember German Wings? If that guy had been stopped that tragedy would not have happened. But they kept his instability private (stop Prime TV) until disaster happened (Power Tools manje)…
Ba KZ with a UK IP address ,Let Zambians put it this way .The last thing that could happened is for this man to be made to carry biohazard materials on public transport because the national wallet has been run empty .All the money has ended up building the forty eight houses without owners and mansions in Swaziland
PLEASE MR CHITALU CHILUFYA PLEASE YOU NEED TO REPENT OTHERWISE YOU WILL ROTE IN HELL FOR WHAT YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS ARE DOING AND DON’T THANK WE ARE SO STUPID AND DELL ZAMBIANS. STILL TYPING
In counties were the law exist ,the owner of the bus could have sued GRZ for acting negligently endangering it passengers .In Zambia with a rotten justice system such cases last over ten years .
Ba KZ says the young man was clearly passionate about helping others, which to me puts the blame on the young man. This is not true, no one in govt can travel without the permission of the boss. Unless you are saying the whole department involved in this was passionate. Second this tries to take off the hit from the real pipo responsible for allowing such risks to be taken