Some National Health Insurance Management Authority (NHIMA) members in Kalomo district in Southern Province have expressed dismay in the manner they were being attended to at Request Muntanga Level One Hospital.

The members who spoke on condition of anonymity told ZANIS that the aspect of ‘Nhima card holders being attended to with minimum delay’ is not prevailing for them at the health institution.

“We are not demanding that we should be treated as extra-ordinary patients or to be above other patients but the minimum delay attention aspect to us should be upheld,” says one Nhima member who spent several hours before being attended to when he went to seek medical attention at the institution.

When contacted for a comment over the development hospital administrator, Benson Sichone said the delay to attend to Nhima clients on time could have been due to some emergencies that occur on such particular days.

“As for today you can see, there is an emergency and we have only one clinical officer to attend to at that out- patient department queue there, it is better we serve critical cases first,” said Mr Sichone.

Meanwhile, Nhima Senior Public Relations Officer, Mutolo Mwamba says such developments should be reported to the authority adding that reports of such nature in accredited health facilities have surfaced and promised to correct the situation amicably.

Nhima members are registered under the scheme pursuant to section 13 (1) of the National Health Insurance Act No. 2 of 2018 and section 3 of statutory Instrument No. 63 of 2019. The policy provides the terms, conditions and exclusions of the client’s health cover and also specifies the benefits that they will enjoy under the scheme.

Chavuma district health office has swabbed 2,636 people for Covid-19 as of February 17, 2021. Out of the total 2,636 people that were swabbed, 217 tested positive.

And the district recorded a total of 180 recoveries, 37 active cases and one death of Covid-19 from the time the health team started swabbing.

Acting Chavuma District Health Director Dingani Daka disclosed this during a stakeholders’ meeting that included traditional leaders held in Chavuma today.

Dr. Daka said health officers in the district are facing challenges to make some follow ups on people with Covid-19 and contacts because villagers do not cooperate with them.

People in rural parts of Chavuma allegedly chase health officers away fearing that if one is tests positive to Covid-19 in the villages, witches will take advantage and bewitch them, attributing deaths to coronavirus.

“Our core business today is to discuss ways and means of fighting Covid-19 in Chavuma because the pandemic has not spared us. Recently we lost one of our fathers due to this pandemic. This shows the gravity of the pandemic that even in Chavuma we are not spared, we need to do something about it,” Dr. Daka said.

He said in an effort to effectively fight the pandemic, health personnel decided to involve traditional leaders because they command a lot of respect from people in the communities.

“As the district health office, we came up with this meeting and with advice from traditional leaders, some present here, that they wanted to spearhead the fight against Covid-19 at community level,” he said.

Meanwhile, Chavuma District Commissioner, Fredrick Foloshi has appealed to the village headmen to follow the presidential directive to sensitise their subjects to wear face masks, wash their hands regularly with soap or sanitize all the time as well as observing hygiene in their homes and avoiding crowded places.

“I urge all of you who have gathered here to inform other headmen who have failed to attend this meeting, like those from Mbalango, Sakawawa, Kamisamba, to sensitize their people about this deadly pandemic of Covid-19,” Mr. Foloshi said.

He said traditional leaders should lead by example in following all the guidelines aimed at curbing the further spread of the coronavirus.

“I would like you also to hold another meeting with all headmen from Chavuma West so that they are sensitized as well because I have not seen anyone from the west. Covid-19 is real, we have already lost our senior citizens here in Chavuma district and we have 37 active cases,” he said.

And senior headman, Swana Kaumba, who spoke on behalf of other headmen, assured government that traditional leaders will sensitize their subjects.

“In fact, us as headmen, had a meeting on 29 January 2021 to look at the same killer disease of Covid-19 where we talked about our children who have just opened schools on 1 February, 2021,” HE SAUD.

Headman Kaumba has meanwhile appealed to teachers, parents, traders, marketers, and other stakeholders to adhere to health guidelines in order to protect reduce the chances of contracting and spreading the pandemic.

He has meanwhile urged all people in the district not to politicize Covid-19 but instead work together regardless of their political, church and any other affiliation to fight the pandemic in unity.

The European Union (EU) has mobilized 58 million Euros additional support to Zambia towards the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.

In 2020, the EU had secured 2.7 million Euros, for the procurement of essential medicines and lifesaving commodities towards the fight against Covid-19.

This came to light when Minister of Health, Jonas Chanda, held a virtual meeting with European Union Charge’d Affairs, Bruno Hausens, who was representing the EU Ambassador to Zambia, Jacek Jankowski.

Dr. Chanda received the financial support and thanked the European Union for the continued support in several areas especially in the health sector.

He has since assured the citizens that the financial support given to Zambia by the EU will be used transparently in order for it to benefit the majority Zambians.

And speaking earlier, European Union Charge’d Affairs, Bruno Hausens said the EU has extended its support to ensure that Zambia remains sustainable in the midst of the pandemic which has destabilized the global socio – economic status.

Mr. Hausens said the EU stands ready to support the Zambian government and has since assured Zambia that his organization will remain a constant and reliable partner during the Covid-19 period.

Meanwhile, 4 churches closed for non-adherence to COVID-19 rules

Kapiri Mposhi, February 17, 2021, ZANIS —Kapiri Mposhi Town Council has revoked gathering permits for four churches for abrogating COVID-19 health guidelines.

And Kapiri Mposhi has recorded 447 cumulative positive Coronavirus cases with nine deaths since the outbreak of the viral disease.

The churches had their permits revoked for failure by congregants to wear face masks, absence of hand washing facilities at church premises and lack of physical distancing among congregants.

During an Ad-hoc Epidemic Preparedness Committee meeting, Council Health Inspector, Rabby Mwansa said the four churches were among 31 inspected for observance of COVID-19 health measures recently.

Mr Mwansa disclosed that 21 out of 31 churches inspected were also cautioned for partially observing health measures.

He said the affected churches would only be allowed to congregate after meeting the prescribed health measures to prevent the spread of Coronavirus.

“To increase and strengthen compliance to COVID-19 preventive measures the council has heightened inspection of public places such as churches, markets, shops and schools and we will close any public place found not adhering to health measures,” Mr Mwansa said.

And Kapiri Mposhi District has recorded 447 cumulative positive Coronavirus virus cases and nine COVID-19 related deaths since the outbreak of the viral disease.

Acting District Health Director, Katherine Kalumba said the district had setup an isolation center at Kapiri Urban Clinic which currently had one COVID-19 patient.

Dr Kalumba said 30 health staff have been trained in COVID-19 surveillance and case management in the district.

“Since the outbreak we have collected a cumulative total of 5,655 samples out of which a total of 447 have come out positive with nine deaths so far,” Dr. Kalumba said.

She assured that there was adequate manpower and oxygen equipment at the isolation center to respond to the current statistics of COVID-19 being recorded in the district.

Meanwhile, Kapiri Mposhi District Commissioner, Smart Mwila has bemoaned the low compliance levels to COVID-19 health measures in the district.

Mr Mwila has since ordered the Council and line ministries to intensify enforcement of measures and sensitization on Coronavirus.

Mr Mwila said authorities should move in to enforce COVID-19 regulations at super spreader events such as funeral and church gatherings.

“We seem to have relaxed enforcement of measures and people are now not adhering to health measures … there are no washing facilities at shops anymore,” Mr Mwila said.