By Blessings Kapina
Chairperson of Parliamentary Committee on Health, Dr. Mathews Ngwale has appealed to Malawians to desist from politicising the Coronavirus situation but rather join hands in the fight against the pandemic.
The remarks come amidst social media reports which point that some of the confirmed cases are false with the recent case of Kaliyeka in Lilongwe where 10 cases were confirmed positive.
He said COVID-19 has attacked the world and Malawi is no exception hence the need for concerted efforts in the fight against the pandemic.
“Countries have closed boarders because of the seriousness of the pandemic. As such it is not right to say that the Malawi cases are not a true reflection of the situation on the ground,” he said.
Ngwale, therefore, emphasised on the need for seriousness in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and not play politics but rather raise awareness about the pandemic especially for the rural masses.
He applauded government for the efforts it has put in place in fighting against the pandemic despite challenges faced.
However, Ngwale appealed to government to fill the gaps hindering the fight against the COVID-19.
Recently, the committee through assistance from ActionAid provided oversight on the pandemic by visiting entry points of Chileka and Kamuzu International Airports as well as border posts of Mwanza and Mchinji, two hospitals of Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital and Mchinji District Hospital and the testing centre at Community Health Science Unit (CHSU) in Lilongwe.
“Our visit to CHSU was meant to appreciate the operations of the testing facility. I want to assure the nation that our visit has shown that we have professionals working there and as such the test results should be trusted,” he said.
World Health Organisation (WHO) Country Representative, Rose Dlamini said COVID-19 is disrupting the society worldwide and as such there is need to take it seriously and adhere to the preventive measures like social distancing and washing hands with soap among others.
Currently Malawi has recorded 33 COVID-19cases, with three recoveries, three deaths and 27 active cases.
