UNICEF to provide an oxygen plant at Kamuzu Central Hospital

By Duncan Mlanjira

UN agency UNICEF has procured a new oxygen plant to be installed at Kamuzu Central Hospital in the next three weeks to help in the treatment of COVID-19 patients who have trouble breathing on their own.

President Lazarus Chakwera announced this during his weekly radio address to the nation, adding that construction of the facility to house the oxygen plant has been completed.

The President also updated that the 200 new ventilators donated by the African Union’s Envoy on Africa’s COVID-19 response, Strive Masiyiwa as well as 30 oxygen concentrators donated by China will be in the country in early September.

“Also arriving in early September are 20,000 test kits donated by the Government of China, a most generous gift that will allow us to keep testing when our current stock of tests is depleted.”

The President took cognizance that through God’s grace, the country has been spared of the havoc the virus has wreaked on other parts of the globe, saying although the number of those who have been found with the virus has now passed 5,000, only 5% have gotten sick enough to need hospitalization.

In his situation report on Saturday, co-chairperson of Presidential Taskforce Force on COVID-19, Dr. John Phuka said 38 new cases were registered while 47 were new recoveries.

One new death was recorded — a 50-year-old man from Mzimba North.

All 38 new cases are locally transmitted infections: one is a healthcare worker from Mzimba North, nine each from Blantyre, Nkhata Bay and Nkhotakota, six from Lilongwe, two from Chiradzulu, and one each from Karonga and Mzimba North.

Cumulatively, Malawi has recorded 5,026 cases including 157 deaths and of these cases, 1,084 are imported infections and 3,942 are locally transmitted.

Cumulatively, 2,623 cases have now recovered bringing the total number of active cases to 2,246. The country has so far conducted 38,451 COVID-19 tests in 45 testing sites of which 705 tests have been done in the past 24 hours of Saturday.

The President said 389 health workers have contracted the virus but only one lost their life and the rest are in recovery.

“I thank our health workers for continuing to defend us from the virus with their expertise in matters of prevention and treatment.

“Because of their efforts, more than half of those found with the virus have already recovered. As such, my Administration is fully committed to continue supporting our health workers by ensuring that they have the necessary tools to protect themselves and save lives.”

He also applauded the Presidential Taskforce Force on COVID-19 for coordinating and spearheading efforts to fight against the spread of this virus on all fronts.

“It is because of their organization that we are now able to set some benchmarks for the restoration of social order and the recovery of the economy,” said the President.

In his report, Dr. Phuka says the fact that the registered cases have surpassed 5,000 since the first reported cases on April 2, this shows that the disease continues to spread.

He said the first 1,000 cases were reported in 85 days and the subsequent 1,000 were reported in 14, 10, 11 and 15 days, respectively.

“This shows that the number of cases reported may have started slowing down with fastest 1,000 cases reported in 10 days during second week of July and the change from 4,000 to 5,000 being in 15 days.

“In any case, the number of cases is not accelerating. One reason for this is that the number of cases found in returning Malawians coming through Mwanza Border has gone down and it may also be that the spreading of the disease within Malawi is stable or slowing down.”

He reported that the number of cases reported recovering passed the 50% mark on August 10 and it is improving each passing day.

“Taken together, this is encouraging as it gives hope in this fight against COVID-19 pandemic. Although this is observed from consistent and continuous observations which key aspect of our surveillance, it is important to note that this is happening while our testing is not optimal.

“Therefore, as I show my appreciation to all those that are implementation prevention measures, let me appeal for continuation of adherence to the prevention measures for sustained gains against COVID-19.

“As we continue with the fight, I would like to ask each one of us to do self -reflection as more people are getting infected within Malawi. Our lives continue to be disrupted greatly due to this disease and the faster will deal with COVID-19 the better.

“For those that have not yet changed, this is the time to seriously consider to re-strategize day to day living and only make decisions that help to reduce the spread of the virus in our midst.

“We all need to treat everyone that you meet as a potential carrier of the virus and we need to strictly follow all the preventive measures wholesomely.”