Kamuzu Central Hospital runs out of Covid-19 isolation space as Malawi cases soar

Kamuzu Central Hospital (KCH) in Lilongwe has run out of coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic isolation  space and treatment centre.

Burial of Covid-19 patient

Hospital administrator Jonathan Ngoma said all the 15 bed space is already taken up.

“We are supposed to have 15 Covid-19 patients but we are currently having 21 of them.

“We are engaging the ministry of Health on the matter,” he said.

Ngoma suggested the government needs to identify a new isolation and treatment centre in Lilongwe apart from the referral hospital.

He said apart from lack of space, the Covid-19 patients are increasingly facing lack of oxygen, drugs and human resource.

Malawi on Monday registered 42 new virus cases, 101 new recoveries and no new deaths..

Co-chairperson of the Presidential Taskforce Dr John Phuka said out of the new cases, 22 are locally transmitted infections and 20 are imported infections.

Meanwhile, infectious disease specialist Titus Divala said many people in the country may be infected with the pandemic and that the situation was becoming scary.

“The bad news from this is that local transmission is very high, However, the number of deaths is far smaller than expected.

“If the epidemic was to behave as it did  in Europe or China, we would have registered a lot of deaths by now,” said  Dival in quotes reported by The Nation, the country’s leading daily newspaper.

He was commenting on Covid-19 surveys locally that indicates that there could be mire cases that those officially reported largey because there are many who are asymptomatic and able to spread the virus to other unsuspecting persons.

He said what is needed is for the country to invest in solutions; local research, local modelling, local innovations, local social science and local economics.

While authorities are being asked to raise the bar infighting the pandemic, Malawi citizens  are also persuaded to play a role in staying safe, observing social and physical distancing, wearing face masks and washing hands with soap regulary – Distance, Mask and Wash!

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ZEZE
ZEZE
4 years ago

Nyau yagwira chiongolero.

Chisomo
Chisomo
4 years ago

And let’s bring all those buses full of people back from South Africa…. genius idea.

Thief
Thief
4 years ago

Chakwera is busy arresting DPP members.

Tommy
Tommy
4 years ago

I conquer the Lord has Been with us in as far as cases of covid are concerned… bkoz there is really nothing we have put to control it, mandatory masks, curfew for markets, bars and entertainment places, restrictions on sitting capacity in bars.. disinfecting public places such as markets and shops regulary.. those are measures done by other countries and we needed to borrow a leaf..

Khima
Khima
4 years ago

Where is our Minister of Health????????????????

The Dangerous Protocol.
The Dangerous Protocol.
4 years ago
Reply to  Khima

@khima, what do you want her to do? Zingosambani mmanjamo ndi mphunomo basi.

Gaba
Gaba
4 years ago

Bwana Divala you want more death?

Peloma Pepe
Peloma Pepe
4 years ago
Reply to  Gaba

Kumuyika mawu mkamwatu uku. Read and understand.

Pachalo
Pachalo
4 years ago
Reply to  Gaba

Boss…read the article again and you will certainly get a better understanding of what the good doctor said. No sane person would wish more human deaths!

Opportunist
Opportunist
4 years ago

This disease is been treated with kids gloves.By now we were supposed to have enough motivated health workers, space and consumables

Let
Let
4 years ago

It has just started and we are out of space, equipment, oxygen. Lately we read that covid money is with UNICEF and some has just been recieved too from ADB etc. Not sure if it’s meant to just pay health workers whilst people die due to lack of drugs, space and oxygen

Hardy
Hardy
4 years ago

Just lack of seriousness regarding the matter. Did I just read that there are 15 spaces. As a country we have jokes.

COVID-19 camp man
COVID-19 camp man
4 years ago
Reply to  Hardy

Agree with you completely, full of expert morons around. Each district hospital, rural hospital and some private clinics should be capacitated to treat covid-19 cases. Its easy to standardase treatment as is the case for ART or TB, so that all clinicians from Drs to Clinical officers to offer quality care which results in good patient outcomes. Koma moving up and down collecting allowances and making silly speaches is the priority. I was in Domas, a quarantine center, where COVID-19 positive patients akumapita ku ma TV show or kukanyenga mmidzi akamagulitsa ma blankets abweletsa kujoni. Mbolatu

Chimulirenji
4 years ago

Sometimes we need to think with seriousness with our brains.How long did it take for the whole world to combat HIV which has been coated as a reference of achievement. Look how many deaths in rich countries like Spain ,Italy, USA. UK, you can see that its been so pathetic and badly affected countries in terms of number of recorded deaths. But all we have to do is continue being prayerful as we wait [patiently from what the authorities will come up with as solutions to this.To be honest enough this pandemic has taken the whole world un awares and… Read more »

BANDA
BANDA
4 years ago
Reply to  Chimulirenji

HIV is completely different from COVID. COVID is a beat with devastating consequences on health and economy in the short term. Not the long time HIV AIDS gave us. With HIV-AIDS you could say ndipewa. But COVID is in the air. We have had time to learn from other countries but Chakwera has chosen to be incompetent. COVID can ground a whole economy to a halt. HIV took away active age-group and devastated families. COVID is a real beast.

Trapence
Trapence
4 years ago
Reply to  Chimulirenji

In countries when where the pandemic has hit the hardest, you will realise that their leadership (USA, Brazil etc) has been lousy in managing it and were on the forefront denying the existence and danger posed by the virus. Our morons here are the same, told people during campaign that there is no corona virus in Malawi and people must hug freely saying DPP was faking figures to scare people to postpone the elections. We are still waiting for the punks to tell us ‘real good’ whether they now understand anything about COVID-19 and see them take some serious action.

Bob Finyeol9
Bob Finyeol9
4 years ago
Reply to  Hardy

How can we be serious when our leaders have been saying there is no COVID-19 in Malawi?

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