Residents in Kalulushi district have expressed concern about the poor management of health care waste as they are posing a risk to children.

Frank Muzeya, a resident of Kalulushi district on the Copperbelt says the newly constructed health posts which are part of the 650 government is constructing countrywide are not fenced and children now have access to the health care waste.

Mr. Muzeya said health authorities in the district should do something quickly before children are contaminated and contract unknown infections.

“Most of these clinics are not fenced and our children are playing with the medical waste. This is dangerous, for example here at Chat clinic children pick anything they see pleasing to their eyes,” Mr. Muzeya said.

Mr. Muzeya has also observed that even some old and well-established clinics that remain unfenced are experiencing the same problem.

And when contacted for a comment, Copperbelt Provincial Health Director, Robert Zulu said some of the facilities were built by communities and handed over to the Ministry of health without fences.

Dr. Zulu said his office is, however, cognisant of the hazards this may cause to the members of the public and that action will be taken soon.

He said modalities are already in place to ensure that the said health facilities are fenced so that members of the public especially children are not exposed to the waste and probably get contaminated.

“It’s in our Infrastructure plan for 2021, that fencing and titling of all health institutions. Will take it up, “Dr. Zulu said.

The fifth session of the twelfth assembly commenced virtually yesterday in the quest to curb the spread of the Coronavirus.

During the session for oral answer, understanding order number 30, Minister of Health Jonas Chanda said the government will continue with its master plan to bring service delivery close to the general citizenry.

Dr Chanda disclosed that his ministry will soon embark on the construction of 118 mini-hospitals countrywide in order to further enhance quality service delivery.

Responding to a question from Moomba Member of Parliament Fred Chaatila, Dr Chanda pointed out that his Ministry will also continue with the construction of the district hospitals.

Mr. Chaatila wanted to know whether the government has any plans to rehabilitate the Nampeyo Clinic in Moomba Parliamentary Constituency; if so, when the plans will be implemented; what the time frame for the completion of the project is; and if there are no such plans, why.

In response, the Minister of Health stated that Nampeyo clinic is among the health centres to build under the 2021 to 2023 medium-term expenditure.

“Government has plans to rehabilitate Nampeyo clinic under the 2021 -23 medium term expenditure and we are working with DMMU to find the medium solution to the problem. Members of parliament are free to use CDF to build clinics but should consult my Ministry,” he said.

He further explained that health quality health service delivery remains top on the government’s agenda.

Lusaka Province Permanent Secretary Elias Kamanga is concerned that churches and funerals have continued to be super-spreaders of covid-19 and has called for restricting to such public gatherings.

Mr. Kamanga notes that the death of a number of the clergy is evidence that the disease is being spread in places of worship saying more needs to be done to ensure adherence to health guidelines.

Speaking during a virtual covid-19 multi-sectoral committee meeting yesterday, Mr. Kamanga noted that people have continued to gather in large numbers in churches and funerals.

“This is the case even when the deceased is reported to have died from covid 19, people will be at funerals in large numbers disregarding the health guidelines,” he said.

The Provincial Permanent Secretary urged local authorities in the province to ensure that not more than 50 people attend funerals.

And Lusaka City Council (LCC) Town Clerk Alex Mwansa said the council has been overwhelmed with the demand for disinfection of both public and private infrastructure.

Mr. Mwansa noted that the council is not able to meet the demand due to inadequate logistics.

“We have been overstretched in terms of fuel and chemicals, we need other stakeholders to come on board to render assistance. We have been writing to stakeholders to supplement the services.” he said.

And Provincial Health Director Consity Mwale says there may be need to engage the private sector to offer fumigation services as a business.

He observed that there has been an increased demand following the escalating new cases of covid-19.

“It may be difficult to cope with the increasing demand,” he said.

Meanwhile, Government has released an initial K250, 000 to support interventions in the fight against Covid-19 in Lusaka Province which is the epicenter of the disease.

Provincial Permanent Secretary Elias Kamanga says the funds will go towards surveillance, contact tracing, community awareness, compliance and enforcement of the covid-19 health guidelines.

Mr Kamanga said this when he addressed the weekly virtual multi-sectoral covid-19 committee meeting on Tuesday that each of the seven districts in the province has been allocated K20, 000 for various activities towards combating the further spread of the disease.

He stated that the monies will be used by the multi-sectoral covid-19 taskforce at district level and that the districts will start receiving the funds by Wednesday.

He stated that K60, 000 will be used for surveillance, contact tracing, community awareness and compliance by the provincial health office.

“K40, 000 will go towards coordination and enforcement and this will be done by the Provincial Disaster Management and Mitigation Committee,” he said.

Mr Kamanga stated that K10, 000 has been allocated to the Zambia News and Information Services for sensitization through the mobile announcements.

“The resources will go towards the purchase of fuel and other logistics to support the said activities that will be undertaken in the province,” he said.

Mr Kamanga was hopeful that the province will receive more funds as it awaits the approval of its contingency plan.

And Provincial Health Director Consity Mwale said inadequate resources for contact tracing and poor compliance among communities have continued to humper efforts in the fight against covid-19 in the province.

Dr Mwale stated that with the K60, 000 support, the province will enhance efforts meant to curtail the further spread of the disease.

He however noted that inadequate stakeholder support, stocks out of vital commodities and inadequate transport have been affecting the covid-19 response activities.

The three major union bodies in Zambia have stepped up efforts to supplement government in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

The bodies which include Zambia Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU), Federation of Free Trade Unions (FFTUZ) and Confederation of Trade Unions of Zambia COTUZ have formed a taskforce called Operation 100 COVID-19 Taskforce.

Speaking during the launch of the taskforce, Permanent Secretary for Public Service Management Division (PSMD), Boniface Chimbwali said the taskforce was created due to the spike in the number of positive cases of COVID-19 in the country.

Mr Chimbwali said the taskforce was named Operation 100 meaning it intends to support government consistently for 100 days.

He explained that the help from the taskforce will include technical, operational, media and financial support towards the fight against COVID-19.

“Eradicating the virus is our main goal as government and it gives us great pleasure to partner with the taskforce as we know if this does not happen, it may affect our social and economic development as a country,” he said.

Mr Chimbwali highlighted that the taskforce has identified target areas like Provincial Headquarters, big cities and border areas which are believed to be the hot spots for COVID-19 spread due to economic activities.

He added that some of the daily activities lined up includes fumigation, sanitizing, enforce face masking, hand washing in public places for the next 100 days.

Mr Chimbwali commended the unions for the initiative of forming the taskforce as they have gone an extra mile from the usual lobbying for increase of salaries and good working conditions.

The Permanent Secretary encouraged the general public to play a leading role in the fight against the pandemic by observing the COVID-19 health regulations.

And the Operation 100 COVID-19 Taskforce Chairperson, Inambao Sitwala said the 100 days’ work plan came up under a proven scientific evidence that adherence and compliance for 100 days can reduce the rapid spread of any pandemic.

Mr Sitwala noted that if the pandemic continues to spike, it would affect the labor movement as there would be massive loss of employment for the Zambian people.

He highlighted that the taskforce aims at providing the means in which government will be supplemented so that business can continue to be done while adherence and compliance is being observed by all.

“Our approach is Multi-Dimensional and sectoral looking at how the disease is spreading. Other stakeholders have been brought on board like the Ministry of Health, Education, Local Government, Agriculture, Defense and Home Affairs,” he said.

Mr Sitwala added that the Road Transport and Safety Agency, Drug Enforcement Commission, Market Associations and the chave also been identified as stakeholders that the taskforce intends to work with.

He disclosed that the Ministry of Health is spearheading the taskforce together with the Transport and education sectors.

Mr Sitwala further disclosed that the operation will begin to be executed in the first and second quarter of this year.