Dear Your Excellency
I write to you through this public forum in order to share with you some thoughts about what could be done to deal with the new wave of Covid 19 infections that are spreading through the country.
It has been suggested that you should address the nation on this matter. I do not think that it would make much of a difference to the numbers, but sometimes even when we know that there is nothing we can do, words do matter. We all offer words of comfort and condolences in times of bereavement and suffering even if it is just mere words. At a time like this, the nation needs to SEE leadership and not just to suspect it.
Countries are not led by technocrats, they are led by politicians, even though they run with what the technocrats say. During the Second World War Britain fought a superior Nazi German military because of words. They were fortunate to have at the right time, one of the most eloquent Prime Ministers in Sir Winston Churchill. In times like this, it is of utmost importance to talk, to speak to the people, even in a poor lisping stammering tongue.
We have had massive infrastructure buildings all around the country and largely with the help of the Chinese. This is probably the time to ask for help again to build new temporary hospitals to cater to the many patients that we would be expecting.
The Chinese government built one such hospital in Wuhan within 10 days. A disease like Covid 19 needs to be managed in as few places as possible so that people with experience care for the patients and also, even more importantly, that data is collected and properly analysed. There is power in good data. Right now thousands of people are suffering in homes because they do not believe that they will benefit from going to hospitals which are already full and bursting to the seams.
It is not all doom and gloom without vaccinations. In many countries, various therapies and interventions have been tried and lives have been saved. While the country waits for vaccines to be made available, lives can be saved by a coordinated approach against this disease. This approach must include Statisticians, behavioural scientists and psychologists, sociologists in addition to medical and other healthcare personnel. I hope that you are briefed DAILY about the situation on the ground. However, I do understand that elections are coming and campaigning is underway. You may have to appoint a team of learned men and women who can look at the data day by day and formulate policy.
We need to act now to forestall a looming catastrophe.
Yours in national service,
Dr Charles Ngoma BSc, MBChB, FRCR (Formerly, Vice President, Zambia Medical Association)
HE HAS COVID HIMSELF HOW IS HE GOING TO ADDRESS THE NATION? HE ALREADY HAS NEUROLOGICAL PROBLEMS. HE KEEPS FAINTING. DOCTORS HAVE ADVISED HIM TO STEP DOWN BUT AFRICAN LEADERS AS USUAL WANT TO DIE AS LEADER.
Nicely written. In addition to resolving this pandemic issue the country has to go under a lockdown while we regroup and come up with a solution. The new Delta Variant is looming around the corridors.
We need to act fast…we have lost a lot of our loved ones.
What massive infrastructure has been built in zambia that the writer is referring to ?
Lungu won’t reply because he is with Jameson
TALKING TO A BRICK WALL
WHY CANT SOME PEOPLE SEE THERE IS ANOTHER PLAN BEING PLAYED OUT HERE BY THE PF GOVERNMENT
THEY FINALLY REALISED THEY ARE THE BACK FOOT SO THEIR PLAN “B” WILL BE ANNOUNCED IN JULY
AND WE WONT LIKE IT
And talking of President Lungu, where is he? He’s been quiet from last weekend
Lungu can’t plan anything but borrowing , corruption and violence to hangon to power……
I have difficulties understanding the stance our President has taken over our welfare.
I am proven right once again that education doesn’t rule out f00Iishness. This man who claims to hold a plethora of qualifications is merely a simple minded trivial nincompoop. If you want to listen to speeches then go and listen to the waffling clown hh. However if you want a man of action who doesn’t waste time telling you stories in speeches then the great ECL isyour man. The choice is yours.
“…..However if you want a man of action who doesn’t waste time telling you stories in speeches then the great ECL isyour man……..”
GDP negative , forigne reserves down , unemployment sky high, inflation double digits , debt unsustainable, corruption sky high, cader violence rule of the day , begging IMF for bailout without shame……
Yep , man of action for sure……
If Lungu serves the interest of Zambians he should suspended the KK Funeral Provincial Tours,save the Money to buy Oxygen and Covid-19 Vaccines. ECL should have stopped squandering Money on PF Cadres and payback Drs’s Salary Arrears and pay the Drs and Nurses attractive salaries together with all the Civil Servants. This will all fall on ECL’s deaf ears. Time will tell.
“..However if you want a man of action who doesn’t waste time telling you stories in speeches then the great ECL isyour man…”
Should be man of destruction, not man of action…..
OH DEAR SOME DONT GET IT DO THEY
THE CHIEF STRATIGIST KIKIKI WAS MEANT TO SAY LUNGU WAS OUR MAN !!
Its laughable to write to an absentee President and he wants to stand for 5 more years!!
Yeah, and the man of action has not been seen or heard of since the weekend! And ZERO action on Covid-19. What a total incompetence, it’s just shocking. Where is the action now, UK based troll and imposter KZ?
And have you seen the work going on for KK’s last resting place in Embassy Park? Done by the Chinese! That’s a bit of a shame isn’t it? Action yes – but not by Zambians! At least the work will be completed on time……. Kikikiki
{1}. Dr Charles Ngoma! A man who is highly educated like yourself should be part of the Zambian Enterprise. If you go to any bank with a Grand Idea. You will get the money
Use your education and experience to set up companies that can create jobs and pay *Corporate Taxes which the government needs to fund all things you want GRZ to do.
Where is the government going to the money from?
{2}. As long as we don’t create jobs and export products or services abroad to earn foreign exchange, we will not have money that can fund public services such as building hospitals. It’s as simple as that.
We are mixed economy that depends on capitalism to produce national wealth. And that wealth must come from private enterprises who pay into government coffers.
{3}. Yes, China built a hospital in 10 days during the covid outbreak to strictly Isolate its sick citizens.
However, Zambia at present does not have infrastructures that makes *PreFabs Structures that China used to build and assemble a hospital in 10 days. So comparing Zambia to do the same is failed reasoning you.
{4}. So comparing Zambia to do the same is failed reasoning from you.
ABSENTEE PRESIDENT CORRECTLY STATED
WAIT THIS IS THE PLAN THAT IS BEING HATCHED
MOST WONT BELIEVE BUT WAIT
APOLOGIES CAN COME LATER THANK YOU
Zambia and the world has massive respect for KK, but this super spreader event of taking his body round the country will hit us badly after the exercise. Check how the numbers will swell after this event, did you witness those unmasked and without social distance crowds in Mongu yesterday lining up to pay their last respects to Dr Kaunda. God forgive us…..
Anybody can fall sick ,it is normal, but when people were advising him to stop campaigning he continued, now he is down and cant come out. Learn to learn, being in a high position does not make you a super human. Go well KK, I wish the current crop of leaders could emulate you.
If all you do is talk you will miss it but if you have observed you will see there is working system in place. The system is effectively responding to the challenge of covid and if you don’t pay attention you will not understand and appreciate how it’s working.This is more of an environmental health problem that calls for personal responsibility and for those that sick medical care they ought to know where to go. The system is as clear as that and does not require the President to address the nation. We have been told countless times on what we need to do to avoid covid. Even If he came out and addressed the nation, the status quo will continue.
Why do you have the army corps of engineers if you are going to turn to the Chinese even for temporary things. Engage your engineers and container owners and work out what I would call a Zambian miracle. A hospital in each town made up of temporary material that you will quickly dismantle and take away. I am not an engineer but I have a pretty good idea as a projects person how this can be put up, operated, and wrapped up. Call me.
Salvation from COVID-19 won’t from ECL, all of us individually know what we’re supposed to do or not to do. Some people, and that’s quite a good number of them just want Edgar to address to satisfy their speculation that he’s or he isn’t sick. Edgar is human, we all saw him collapse, can’t we leave to recuperate if at all he isn’t ok? These type of politics that have even made headlines in some newspapers won’t take us anywhere. Edgar will definitely leave office when his time to comes. All those that are insisting on Edgar to address them now aren’t different from sorcerers, they’re mfwiti but their days are numbered for they don’t know God’s plans. I wish Edgar good health and a long life. If he’s sick, may God heal him quickly. Life is more precious than politics
@ AYATOLLAH & @ INDEPENDENT OBSERVER. Your comments are the only wise words . The rest are just from UPND especially those in London who are failures and frustrated souls just waiting for HH win so that they can get jobs. UPND London is full of losers and fantasy dreamers who have nothing to offer but just ridding on tribal goods trains.
Thank you Doc. But surely we knew that another wave was coming seeing what happened in India. Don’t we have Public Health Experts who should have conducted disease projections and advised government to prepare adequately? Even if they Chinese came to build monuments of hospitals in record time, we will still loose on critical time. Secondary schools and colleges have closed. Turn those hostels into hospital wards. This is the fastest way out! We can then clean up the premises when cases have gone down.
With all due respect, there is no leadership in the country. Our Absentee President is only interest in the welfare of cadres and only talks when it affects them.
The people of Zambia shall addressed by another when normalcy returns after August 12.
Dr Charles Ngoma you have addressed a wrong person and your message is not practical and helpful. You should have correctly addressed HH with the message ‘HH, with regards to convid-19, show leadership.
Zambian mwankole no 1 and wife are both critically sick with coronavirus. That’s why you have not heard or seen him since
Zambian mwankole no 1 and wife are both critically sick with coronavirus. That’s why you have not heard or seen him since
What the country need at the moment is care for patients in institutions where they can get Oxygen .
Zambians are correct to observe that the commander in chief is absent.
WE ARE IN AN EMERGENCY !
MOBILISE THE LITTLE RESOURCES THE COUNTRY HAS TO URGENTLY BUY VACCINES, OXYGEN DELIVERY DEVICES AND EMPLOY EXTRA STAFF.
THE UNIVERSITIES AND SOME SCHOOLS MUST BE TURNED INTO OBSERVATION CENTRES FOR ALL POSITIVE PATIENTS. YOU CAN NOT ALLOW PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT HAVING SYMPTOMS TO GO AND ISOLATE AT HOME WITH THE REST OF THE FAMILY!
DECLARE A STATE OF EMERGENCY AND IMPOSE A CURFEW FOR A LIMITED PERIOD OF TIME JUST TO DEAL WITH THIS SITUATION. RECALL PARLIAMENT IF YOU HAVE TO DO THIS!
Iwe Kaizer Joseph Goebbels Zulu, stop lying. Lungu a man of action? What have you been smoking? He neither has action now words to assure the nation that the COVID situation is under control. A complete failure. What a shame.