Malawi Congress Party( MCP) President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera, has urged Malawians to protect themselves against the threat of Coronavirus by washing hands with soap, staying home when they are sick, distance themselves from others in crowded places, avoiding touching their faces and above all,they should not be afraid, God is with them all.
Dr. Chakwera says he visited a few health facilities to see if they are ready for such an outbreak, and the sad truth is that Malawi’s health facilities are not ready.
He says although, President Peter Mutharika declared a state of disaster to prevent the spread of Coronavirus, his government has done very little to prepare health facilities to conduct tests and to prevent transmission.
The MCP President says he has also learned with alarm that the borders continue to be crossed by people from corona- stricken countries without being tested with the health facilities conducting less than 100 lab tests ever since the declaration of disaster was made.
This is contained in a statement on the MCP President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera made on Wednesday in his national address to the nation.
In the statement, Dr. Chakwera says government received 20,000 test kits, but conveniently neglected to provide storage rooms for the tests at district level saying these lapses mean that as a country, is hoping for the best that this virus will not cross our borders, but the country is ill- prepared for the worst.
“If God forbid, the virus enters Malawi, it is possible that President Mutharika will order a lockdown,” reads the statement in part.
Dr. Chakwera says if such a time comes, President Mutharika will need to give reasons to justify the lockdown, to guarantee Malawians their right to elect a President still be respected, to explain how the court’s order to hold a fresh election will be complied and need to tell poor Malawians how the government will support citizens with essential needs during the lockdown.
He says without these measures, he fears that a lockdown could itself become a threat to the stability of the country.
