Minister of Health Jonas Chanda says despite a reduction in the number of new COVID- 19 cases, Zambia has continued to observe a stagnation in the number of cases requiring hospitalisation, with a slight increases in admissions and critical cases noted in the past few days.
Dr. Chanda says the development is a reminder of the fact that community transmission is still ongoing and people remain at risk of contracting the disease.
In a statement issued to ZANIS in Lusaka today, the Minister has encouraged health workers to maintain a high index of suspicion even in spite of the reduced numbers of cases being recorded in order to timely isolate and treat cases while ensuring that the chains of transmission are broken.
Country Director, ActionAid Zambia
ActionAid Zambia welcomes the much-anticipated firing of Dr. Chitalu Chilufya as the Health Minister. We note that even before the HoneyBee scandal, Dr. Chitalu Chilufya had been at the center stage of various corrupt allegations in the Ministry of Health such as the theft of medication. ActionAid Zambia is of the considered view that Dr Chilufya must be held accountable for his actions in endangering the lives of Zambians and must face the law.
We demand that all those involved in this case be equally be relieved of their duties such as Zambia Medical Regulatory Authority (ZAMRA) Management and Board together with the Medical Stores and the two Permanent Secretaries at the Ministry of Health. We also expect the Doctor’s Association of Zambia to take keen interest at the issue as it borders on medical ethics as they uphold professional ethical standards in the medical profession.