LUSAKA – 14.05.2020
The failure by the Government to come up with a Covid-19 taskforce, clear-cut road map and accountability system reveals how hard it is for the country to control future epidemics, says United Party for National Development Deputy Religious Affairs Chairperson, Rev. William Njombo.
Mr Njombo insists that the current debacle surrounding the Covid-19 fight which has led to public outcry from various stakeholders on the alleged misuse of donations was a cause for worry.
He observed that a lack of disaster preparedness, inadequate laboratory facilities coupled with a poor health system had led to inefficiencies on the part of Government in the fight against the novel coronavirus.
”The COVID-19 has revealed how incompetent, inept and unprepared our Government is when it comes to combating pandemics. The absence of a taskforce to fight the pandemic as well as the accountability inefficiencies is cause for serious concern,” he said.
He said Government needed to do more in order to mitigate the impending crisis, adding that the death of a biomedical technologist who was carrying biohazard test samples recently signalled a serious loophole in the country’s health system.
”The Government is poor at planning and this can be seen in the inadequate laboratories in the country which numbers 3 for the 18 million Zambians. This is a sign that we are far from meeting the minimum acceptable levels for health provision to its citizenry. Also, transporting biohazard material using public transport like we witnessed recently when a biomedical technologist (Ian Mutambo) died in a road mishap also reveals that Government doesn’t care about frontline workers,” he stated.
He also wondered why Government had failed to adequately take care of the safety of the men and women who have put their lives on the line such as health workers, immigration officers, journalists and police officers.
He stated that Government needed to provide adequate emergency health resources such as food, medicines, fuel and money if fatalities from future disease breakouts such as the Covid-19 were to be managed.
Rev. Njombo has since called on the Government to desist from politicizing the Covid-19 fight for political gain.
”We have seen how our friends in the PF Government have taken advantage of the crisis at hand to start politicking. This can be seen in the branding of donations which are then distributed to party cadres and functionaries . Also the continued campaigning by the PF amidst the COVID-19 which is not only jeopardizing the fight against the corona virus, but also gobbling huge sums of money from Government sources. This should stop at once,” warned Rev. Njombo.
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UPND MEDIA TEAM
