Society of Medical Doctors appeal for  more help in Covid-19 fight

As the country’s health facilities continue to register a surge in coronavirus pandemic Society of Medical Doctors is asking for more assistance from  well-wishers to help  secure oxygen cylinders, essential medicines  and personal protective equipment (PPE) for frontline workers in public hospitals.

Dr. Victor Mithi, one of Malawi’s health experts who is also president of the Society of Medical Doctors, stresses that the disease is going out of hand and that it needs a joint effort to combat it.

“The second wave is a different strain compared to the first one as it is super spreader,” pointed out Mithi.

He explained that the overwhelming numbers that escalated during the first weeks of January have collapsed the health system hence a great need for support from well-wishers.

“We have seen an increase in number of people dying everyday, and hospitals congested  with no bed spaces and oxygen cylinders being limited, and too, no drugs….”

Mithi, therefore, asked and pleaded with people to make donations of either money or oxygen cylinders to public health facilities.

He also expressed worry over how health workers are being struck with the virus.

From Thursday, cases started to spike with Presidential Task force on Covid co-chairperson Dr. John Phuka announcing  in a statement that Malawi had registered 1 316 new Covid cases in a single day.

By then, and cumulatively, Malawi had recorded 17 365 cases including 445 deaths, with case fatality rate standing at 2.6 percent.

“Of these cases, 1 928 are imported infections and 15 437 are locally transmitted. Cumulatively, 6 408 cases have now recovered, 134 were lost to follow-up, and 76 are still being investigated to ascertain their outcome.

“This brings the total number of active cases to 10 302. Of the active cases 262 are currently admitted: 98 in Blantyre at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, 56 in Lilongwe, 15 in Mzimba North, 14 in Zomba, 10 in Karonga, nine each in Mulanje and Chiradzulu, seven in Kasungu, six in Chikwawa, five in Balaka, four each in Dowa and Chitipa, three each in Mzimba South, Mangochi, Machinga, Mchinji, and Salima, two each in Nkhotakota, Thyolo, Rumphi and Nsanje, and one each in Ntcheu and Ntchisi,” he reported.

Phuka said one of the preventive measures in the fight of Covid-19 is the proper wearing of face masks and pointed out that mask wearing is now mandatory in all public places under the new gazetted Covid-19 prevention and containment rules.

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