Ministry of Health for Technical Services Kennedy Malama says government has noted with regret the increasing tendency by people to self-prescribe and self-medicate using Zinc, Vitamins, Ivermectin and Azithromycin among other medications to treat COVID-19.
Dr Malama says the dangers of self-prescription cannot be over-emphasised as people place themselves at risk of severe adverse reactions, dangerous drug interactions including incorrect self-diagnosis and treatment.
During the daily COVID-19 update in Lusaka today, the Permanent Secretary said the Ministry has also been getting reports of people administering oxygen by themselves at home.
“All these practices do not only delay appropriate treatment but lead to avoidable deaths,” he said.
Dr. Malama noted that oxygen is an essential drug which requires prescription and stringent monitoring and adjustment by a trained health care worker for optimal results.
“We would like to assure members of the public that the government has put in place a multi-pronged approach to ensure that the oxygen supply is stabilised countrywide,” he noted.
Dr. Malama added that the government has released K100 million for repair and maintenance of equipment in various health facilities countrywide to further ensure that various medical and non-medical equipment is working optimally in hospitals.
And the Permanent Secretary has assured all Zambians that the government is doing everything possible to bring the COVID- 19 situation under control.
He also urged members of the public to adhere to various prescribed public health and social measures.
“As a collective, when we implement these interventions fully we will see significant reduction in new cases, admissions to hospitals and deaths in the next three weeks. We urge all the enforcing wings to ensure that there is heighted adherence to prevent further loss of lives,” he emphasised.
Meanwhile, Dr. Malama stated that the administration of the second dose of the COVID- 19 AstraZeneca vaccine commenced yesterday in Lusaka and will commence in other provinces in the coming days depending on when the 1st doses were administered.
He said a total of 698 second dose vaccinations were administered in 15 facilities in Lusaka and that the exercise went on well.
The Permanent Secretary has since urged all those who received the first dose to ensure that they get the 2nd dose on the scheduled date for them to get maximum protection conferred by the vaccine.
“We reiterate that the government is on course to provide various vaccines to its people in the coming weeks and months,’ he stated.
The Permanent Secretary further assured health care workers in the country that the government through his Ministry puts their health and well-being at the center even as the country fights COVID- 19.
“We will ensure that Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), conducive working environment and tools are provided as you execute your work. Caring for our health care workers remains a key priority,’ he reiterated.
Dr. Malama also urged all health care workers to consider getting the vaccine on a voluntary basis when it is available, noting that being front line personnel, they carry a higher risk of contracting COVID- 19.
But Doctors are on go slow, so who will prescribe drugs to me?
The last time I went to nakachenge hospital, a nurse attended to me instead of a clinical officer. I have not gone there again. I go to Lusaka Chemist and Karibu.
IVERMECTIN SHOULD BE RESEARCHED FURTHER
You should be concerned about ordering vaccines not handouts!!
UGANDA GOVT EXPOSED FOR BURYING EMPTY COFFINS TO INCREASE COVID 19 DEATH TO CLAIM MORE MONEY FROM IMF
Why should government be a concern when they don’t have medicine hospitals to give to covid19 patients? The fact is even if the test comes out negative at government clinic they are not giving any medications. So the best is to go chemistry and buy vitamin C,D, Zinc, antibiotic and you are done.
THIS GOVERNMENT WILL EVENTUALLY BE EXPOSED FOR PARADING AN EMPTY COFFIN AROUND THE COUNTRY
SHAME A REAL SHAME
Employ more Doctors so that they prescribe medicines to the patients.
So many Doctors roaming the streets and jobless.
But when you go to the doc with a positive… they prescribe you the same things you are telling us not to self-prescribe.
Lets assume your scenario, Mr-know-it-all…
Sit in a bus. Expose passengers to my covid.
Sit at hospito. Expose doctors to my covid.
Sit in a bus again to the chemist. Expose more passengers.
Enter the chemist. Expose the pharmacist.
Sit in a bus back home. Expose more passengers to my covid.
And dont give us the masking and sanitizing nonsense. Doctors are wearing masks and sanitizing. But they are still catching and dying!
Also some of these drugs like Azithromycin, Vitamin A and C, and Zinc Sulphate are being prescribed by medical personnel who are following procedures they’ve read online. Most Pharmacies have actually run out of the same drugs.
The amount of BS being peddled by medical personnel is just appalling.