A GRAVE SITUATION

ZAMBIA is engulfed in a serious battle against the coronavirus, which has resurfaced in a more virulent manner. The new strain of the Covid-19 is severe and the statistics speak to this.

The health system is clearly strained and getting overwhelmed with the number of patients turning up with coronavirus.

Be it at government general, level one hospitals or simply the clinics, the situation is grave and unless something is done to stem the upswing, the country will fail to cope.

Our health systems do not have enough bed capacity for starters to deal with the high number of patients turning up at health facilities for treatment for mostly Covid-19.

Yesterday, the country recorded 18 Covid-19 deaths, the highest since the country was hit by the virus in March last year.

The country also recorded the highest number of cases in 24 hours with 1, 029 infected out of 11, 855 tests conducted. The cumulative cases as at yesterday were 25, 326 out of which 20, 349 are recoveries.

The total number of deaths are at 441, according to an update given yesterday by the Minister of Health, Dr. Chitalu Chilufya.

If nothing else can jolt the nation into action, it should be these alarming statistics. This is a serious indictment that the country is not following the Covid prevention measures as set out by the Ministry of Health.

This is a dangerous path that the country is on, especially that now we are faced with a more dangerous variant of the Covid-19. The new strain is not only more infectious, but moves faster and hence the high mortality rate.

Health personnel have testified that the scenario is more terrifying for those on the frontline because they are witness to the lives being lost. They are also witness to the struggle that patients are going through.

Yesterday, Dr. Chilufya said President Edgar Lungu had directed the Secretary to the Cabinet, Dr. Simon Miti to develop a new work arrangements in the public service that will see some employees work from home to curb the pandemic.

This is all part of efforts to find ways of containing the pandemic so that it can be fought effectively.

The government, like it did last year, wants to ensure that social distancing is practiced at all levels. This means work places should have reduced numbers in the office while allowing people to work from home. It also means no public gatherings.

The other measures which may need more political will to enforce include the need for people to wear masks in public places such as in shopping malls, markets, bus stations and on all vehicles, private and public alike.

Once police officers get on the ground and start enforcing this, people will get used and start masking up. Some stiff penalties for those failing to comply, will send the right message to society.

For public service vehicles, the failure to comply with safety measures should lead to buses or taxis being impounded.

That way, the driver and conductor will feel the pinch where it matters most. Loss of income is not something that they would want to risk by allowing passengers without masks on their buses.

Furthermore, the government should ensure the sensitisation messages are translated into local languages so that the communication is effective.

The sensitisation message should also include the need to change some cultural norms such as handshakes.

If every Zambian makes a real effort to observe the Covid prevention measures, the battle will have been won. The opposite will unfortunately send so many people to the grave. This is indeed a grave situation the nation is face with.