By John Saukira
National Oil Company of Malawi Limited (NOCMA) has donated K10 million for Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR) campus to become a full COVID-19 testing centre.
The donation follows inspection of the centre by the COVID-19 response team which assessed its needs for it to become fully reliable in the fight against the spread of Coronavirus pandemic.
LUANAR Vice Chancellor Kanyama Phiri
LUANAR Vice Chancellor Prof. George Kanyama Phiri said they asked for financial assistance from various stakeholders to patch up the few areas required to be done for the smooth running of the centre.
“We are very grateful to NOCMA for this donation which has come at the right time,” he said.
A health personnel making finishing touches
Apart from NOCMA, Kanyama Phiri said they also recently received some financial assistance from JTI Tobacco Company for the same activity of strengthening capacity of the COVID-19 testing centre.
Stakeholders have been complaining of limited testing centres in the country, especially in Mzuzu.
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When announcing on Sunday that five more COVID-19 cases have been recorded, bringing the total number to 70, Minister of Health Jappie Mhango disclosed that two of the cases are in Lilongwe, two in Blantyre and one in Zomba.
Mhango said one of the case in Lilongwe is a Tanzanian national who stays at Biwi while the other is a 30-year-old Malawian who recently returned from South Africa through uncharted routes.
The two cases in Blantyre involve two healthcare workers in Limbe.
Elaborately finished work
He warned that the COVID-19 disease is accelerating in Malawi and pleaded with Malawians to be strict in the observance of the preventive measures the government set such as frequent washing of hands, keeping social distancing, avoiding mass gatherings and staying at home if feeling sick.
NOCMA is a wholly owned Government company incorporated in 2010 under the Companies Act of 1984 and is mandated to promote upstream oil and gas exploration.
Coronavirus alert
It also manages Strategic Fuel Reserve Facility in accordance with Government of Malawi’s approved strategic fuel reserve management plan and provides, at a fee, hospitality to new entrants as one way of promoting competition.
Recently NOCMA management assured Malawians that the company has enough fuel to cover for 60 days despite the COVID-19 pandemic in which countries like Tanzania, Mozambique and South Africa have restricted travel movements, save for essential commodities like fuel.
Ever since there have been these restrictions, Malawi has not experienced fuel interruption.
The cheque presentation
Meanwhile, Treasury has released K6.2 billion to government ministries towards the COVID-19 fight.
Minister of Information, Civic Education and Communications Technology Mark Botomani said government already released K2.4 billion from the COVID-19 purse, pegged at K157 billion.
He said government has not yet managed to raise the full K157 billion but will be giving out whatever it collects.
Botomani also said K5 billion went to government ministries as well as district, town and city councils and security agents among other clusters engaged in the fight against COVID-19.
Coronavirus Alert
As of Tuesday, May 19, the confirmed African COVID-19 cases from 55 African countries have reached 88,264 with reported deaths reaching 2,832 and recoveries 33,898.
The numbers are compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University using statistics from the World Health Organization and other international institutions as well national and regional public health departments.
South Africa has the most reported cases — 16,433, with deaths numbering 286. Other most-affected countries include Egypt (12,764 cases), Morocco (6,952), Algeria (7,201), Ghana (5,735) and Nigeria (6,175).—Additional reporting by Duncan Mlanjira