Covid-19 material going to intended purpose - minister

MASKS and personal protective equipment (PPEs) donated by well-wishers and those which Government was procuring were going to the intended purpose, Health minister Chitalu Chilufya has said.

And Dr Chilufya yesterday said Zambia’s Covid-19 cases have continued to rise with six new cases recorded in the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 95.

He also said there were no politics in the fight against the Corona virus Disease (Covid-19) and that PPEs and face masks were distributed to all MPs from both the ruling and opposition political parties.

Meanwhile, Government has received in excess of 50, 000 masks and that these were distributed to communities while surgical masts had been distributed to frontline health workers countrywide and that there was no politics attached to the exercise as 20 MPs from both sides had so far collected these materials.

“The number of MPs that have collected PPEs that they have distributed in their constituencies has been growing from day to day. We can report to you that not less than 20 MPs have collected PPEs for onward passing to their constituencies, which include marketeers and traders.

“This includes some opposition MPsand so, we are not discriminating because health is apolitical and we are all summoned to the table to fight COVID-19 as a united force. “So, in solidarity and in conformity with the guidance that the Commander-in-Chief has provided, we are working together in solidarity, united in purpose to defeat COVID-19. We have quarantined politics out of this game,” Dr. Chilufya said.

Meanwhile, Dr. Chilufya said six new cases have been reported in the last 24 hours and that these were picked through surveillance and contact tracing. He said 80 tests were conducted out of which six came out positive, involving two women and four men and that the cases were recorded from Emmasdale, Matero, and Chelstone.

Meanwhile, Zambia and China have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the delivery of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) and other medical supplies to Zambia.

Chinese Ambassador to Zambia Mr. Lie Jie said the supplies will soon be delivered to Zambia through Air Cargo and said China stands in solidarity with Zambia in the fight against the pandemic.

Ambassador Jie praised Zambia for the measures implemented so far.

According to Dr. Chilufya, all patients are stable and that health personnel were retesting those that are admitted and that he would soon be announcing discharges in the next few days.