* COVID-19 situation is very critical at Queens
* Of the 146 admitted in 18 hospitals, Queens have the highest at 60
By Duncan Mlanjira
Muslim Youth United (MYU) is appealing for support from the general public to raise funds to procure medical equipment which is urgently needed at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, which is currently treating the majority of patients currently under admissions across the country.
As of Friday evening, the country registered six new COVID-19 related deaths, 71 new recoveries and 618 new cases, bringing the total number of active cases to 4,748.
Situation report
Of these active cases, 146 are admitted in 18 hospitals across the country with Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital having the highest at 60 while 39 are in Lilongwe, seven in Mzimba North, six in Karonga and five in Zomba.
A statement from MYU says after discussions with Queens’ management, they are calling on well-wishers to contribute towards raising K5 million to procure at least 250 units of COVID-19 equipment of K20,000 each.
The medical equipment required include patient monitors; boxes of latex gloves; boxes of surgical masks; medical gowns; enoxaparin and heparin.
The donations can be deposited at First Capital Bank; Limbe Branch on account name of Muslim Youth United – Sadaqa (0001704001704).
Or through Airtel Money transfer on +265995402817 and the contact persons for more information are Molana Riaz Bhana (0991785785); Abbas Panjwani (0999826666); Dr Hussein Twabi (0996855462) and Abdullah Panjwani (0999660786).
According to a report on ZBSNews, Queen Elizabeth management has is appealing for support as the COVID-19 situation is very critical.
Coronavirus alert
Hospital Director Dr. Samuel Mndolo told ZBSNews that the referral hospital is currently receiving over 5 patients a day, and expressed fears for the worst, saying the system will be overwhelmed soon at the rate pandemic is spreading.
Dr. Mndolo is quoted as saying they have since restricted visitations, restricted guardians to one only and ensuring strict adherence to other preventive measures such as wearing of masks.
Last month, MYU donated 300 face shields to Queen Elizabeth’s COVID-19 health care workers in recognition of the noble work they are involved in the fight against the spread of the pandemic.
Last month MYU donated face shields to
Queens
Meanwhile, all of the 618 new cases recorded on Friday are locally transmitted infections — again with Blantyre registering 97 with 91 from Lilongwe, 86 from Mzimba North, 69 from Zomba, 52 from Neno and 43 from Karonga.
Two of the new deaths are from Lilongwe and one each from Mzimba North, Nkhotakota, Ntcheu, and Balaka districts.
Cumulatively, Malawi has recorded 11,223 cases including 291 deaths (case fatality rate is at 2.59%) and of these cases, 1,845 are imported infections with 9,378 as locally transmitted.
Coronavirus alert
Cumulatively, 5,974 cases have now recovered, 134 were lost to follow-up, and 76 are still being investigated to ascertain their outcome.
Co-chairperson of the presidential taskforce on COVID-19, Dr. John Phuka expressed concern at reports of some school learners testing positive with Lilongwe Girls Secondary School currently being the most affected.
He said the Ministries of Health Education are closely working together in doing surveillance in schools to ensure that the schools should not act as amplifiers of the COVID-19 transmission.
Coronavirus alert
“We are in the second week after the schools opened, the cases being detected now could be as a result of the community transmission that we are experiencing.
“It is important at this stage that everyone of us including the learners and the teachers strictly adhere to the preventive measures to reduce the further spread of the coronavirus amidst us.”
To ensure that the schools are not interrupted, the two Ministries remind parents, learners and teachers to strictly adhere to the basic preventive measures that were put in place, such as:
• Sick students, teachers and other staff should not come to school
• Schools should enforce regular hand washing with safe water and soap, alcohol rub/hand sanitizer or chlorine solution
• Schools should frequently clean and disinfect all the frequently touched surfaces and objects at the school
Coronavirus alert
• Schools should provide water, sanitation and waste management facilities and follow environmental cleaning and decontamination procedures
• Schools should promote social distancing and staggering approach on classes could help to reduce overcrowding
• Students, teachers and parents should properly wear mask and dispose them safely
• Students, teachers and parents should practice cough and sneeze etiquette
Coronavirus alert
• Schools should frequently provide health education sessions to the learners on the prevention COVID-19
• Schools should monitor school attendance to track student and staff absence and compare against usual absenteeism patterns at the school.
• Alert local health authorities about large increases in student and staff absenteeism due to respiratory illnesses.
The Ministry of Health has also increased testing sites in the cities where they are using Rapid Tests — DREAM; Queen Elizabeth; Gateway Clinic; Chilomoni Health Centre and Bangwe Health Centre in Blantyre.
And in Lilongwe at Community Health Science Unit; Kamuzu Central Hospital; Area 25 Health Centre; Kawale Health Centre; Partners in Hope and City Centre Clinic.
