By Duncan Mlanjira
A citizen has voiced out some concerns on the Ministry of Health’s Facebook page over his experiences when he went for COVID-19 tests at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (QECH).
The nasopharyngeal sample taking
The concerned citizen observes that people are being asked to pay for the tests even when originally the fee-paying service was meant for people who are to travel outside the country.
He said after having been unwell with cold symptoms and fevers for a longer period despite isolation and recovery time, he contacted the Blantyre DHO for advise on testing for COVID-19.
“They referred me to the only place testing can be done in Blantyre, which is at QECH. Once there they sent me to pay [but] when I explained that I was actually sick and not travelling, they sent me to see the doctor and have a test done in the COVID-19 tent.
“As per the information I got, QECH performs roughly 80 tests a day, out of which 90% are ‘sold’ to healthy individuals that wish to travel.
“At the same time, the other hospitals, including the referral district hospitals, have no test kits to test suspected cases.
“I have come to believe that the majority of money to fight COVID-19 in Malawi have come through donations and those donations are aimed at improving healthcare for sick Malawians.
Finance Minister Mlusu being tested for
temperature before entry into Parliament
“Instead, the testkits are being sold and it’s very unclear where the money goes. This also suggests that any COVID-19 data is completely biased as 90% of tests are on healthy individuals while doctors — wanting to use the test as a diagnostic tool for sick patients — have very limited or no access to the same in big parts of the country.
“The sales of donated test kits should be [made] illegal in Malawi and the benefit from the donated COVID-19 money should go to Malawians and residents that are actually sick!” said the concerned citizen.
Meanwhile, in her update on Tuesday, Minister of Health, Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda said she had an audience with the Chinese Ambassador to Malawi, His Excellency Liu Hongyang reported that the arrival of the Chinese medical mission in the country.
The Health Minister and the Chinese Ambassador
“He also pledged to support the Ministry with 2,000 COVID-19 test kits in addition to 20,000 they recently donated.
“The Ambassador also updated my Ministry on Chinese COVID-19 vaccine development efforts and pledged to donate the vaccine to Malawi once it is approved.
“I thanked the ambassador for the continued support that my ministry continues to receive from Chinese Government. I affirmed Malawi Government’s support to China in strategic global health diplomacy,” she said.
His Excellency Liu Hongyang
Following the re-opening of Kamuzu International Airport on 1st September and the commencement of commercial flights, government set up designated test centres for those planning to travel outside the country to get tested and obtain a test certificate.
These are at National Public Health Institute of Malawi (CHSU Campus); Kamuzu Central Hospital; Mzuzu Central Hospital; Zomba Central Hospital and Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital.
As preventive measures are still in force even though the numbers of new cases and their related deaths are positively declining, Malawi has adopted what other countries are doing, that returning residents and foreigners flying into the country will be required to produce a COVID-19 PCR negative certificate of not more than 10 days old from a designated testing laboratory of the country they are coming from and should be fully signed by approved signatories.
In the same vein, those planning to travel outside Malawi need to get tested and obtain a test certificate and should first check the COVID-19 requirements for the destination country.
A statement from Secretary of Health, Dr. Charles Mwansambo had said if a traveller arrives at the point of entry in Malawi without a valid certificate, they will be required to undergo a mandatory nasopharyngeal sample taken to be tested for COVID-19.
For this testing service, the travelers will be required to pay US$50 for Malawians and returning residents and US$100 for foreigners.
Dr. Phuka and Wang Xiusheng signing documents
In his daily update, co-chairperson of the presidential task force on COVID-19, Dr. John Phuka says in the past 24 hours of Saturday, October 31, Malawi has registered seven new cases, no new recoveries and no new deaths from 429 tests done.
The new cases are locally transmitted infections — three from and two each from Blantyre and Lilongwe.
Cumulatively, Malawi has recorded 5,930 cases including 184 deaths and of these cases, 1,170 are imported infections and 4,760 are locally transmitted.
Cumulatively, 5,323 cases have now recovered bringing the total number of active cases to 423. Cumulatively, 62,600 tests have been conducted in the country since April.
Coronavirus alert