By Sam Majamanda
Phalombe, April 30, Mana: Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Kondwani Nankhumwa has advised residents of Phalombe District to take heed of advice on prevention of the novel Coronavirus (Covid-19).
Nankhumwa gave the advice on Tuesday when he addressed patients at Phalombe Health Centre’s Outpatient Department during the tour of the facility and Holy Family Mission Hospital.
The Minister said Covid-19 is real as such, every citizen needed to take the laid-down precautions seriously in order to protect others.
“No one should cheat you that the Coronavirus is a made-up story in Malawi because it is here and people are actually dying because of the virus. So, please take care of yourselves to avoid catching it,” he said.
In an interview after touring the two health facilities, Nankhumwa commended the district for measures put in place to contain the outbreak.
However, he observed that there were a few areas such as under staffing which needed to be addressed.
Ryana Chaputa, Member of Parliament for Lilongwe Msozi South who is also a member of the Parliamentary Committee on Social and Community Affairs, asked Malawians to get serious on Covid-19 prevention, saying an outbreak in one district is a concern to the general population.
“This outbreak has come as a surprise to all of us but we need to act like we are in an emergency and everyone has to play a role in protecting the next person from the disease because when it spreads all over then all of us will die,” said Chaputa.
During the tour, Nankhumwa was conducted to the screening points and isolation rooms at Phalombe Health Centre and Holy Family Mission Hospital, where among other things, he observed that an isolation centre at the Mission Hospital was too close to a nursery (pre-mature children ward) and needed to be relocated.
