Let’s Work As Team On Prevention Of COVID-19, MTC Urges Stakeholders In The District

Monze Town Council Secretary Benson Bweenje has called on stakeholders in the district to work as a team in complying to the basic information being given by experts and allowing only authorised officers to issue status information on the COVID-19 in the district.

And the District Education Board Secretary has expressed concern over the indiscriminate roaming of children in town and streets after they were sent home from schools as a measure to minimize cloud contacts.

Meanwhile Monze Mission Hospital has called on relatives of patients to abide by the regulations set up as regards the suspension of visiting hours until the epidermic is put under control.

Speaking during the Epidermic Preparedness Committee emergency meeting on Wednesday Mr. Bweenje said stakeholders should not work in isolation but work as a team as they all had the same goal of ensuring a COVID-19 free Monze.

He observed that working as a team would not only be more effective but that it would also reduce the cost while working in isolation would no doubt balloon the cost of operations and will have less impact on the community.

He also called on stakeholders to cooperate as the measures being put in place are not meant to punish anyone but to safeguard the lives of the over 180,000 lives in the district adding that failure to follow the regulations the Council Secretary will have no option but to recommend for further actions from higher authorities which might go as far as a complete lockdown of the district.

He urged the District Health Medical Director and the Chief Health Inspector not to relent to call for law enforcement agents to enforce the SI 22 of 2020 whenever they face resistance from individuals.

He said the SI is clear and that in the SI which is law, there is clear direction, prohibition or restriction which need to be followed by everyone hence the need to ensure that stakeholders do not only cooperate but also ensure that they educate those who do not understand.

“The law is as clear as day light on those who fail to comply. The law gives directives, prohibits and restricts certain activities and anyone who contravenes these regulations commits an offence.”

“The law says and I am quoting directly from the SI here, a person who fails to comply with a direction, prohibition or restriction of an authorized officer or otherwise contravenes these regulations commits an offence is liable on conviction, to a fine not exceeding two thousand five hundred penalty units or imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or to both,” he said

And Monze District Education Board Secretary Webster Mwiinga said the whole essence of sending school children home was so that they minimize contacts with clouds and not to send them the roam the streets and advised parents to be watchful of the whereabouts of their children.

Mr. Mwiinga says parents should put up strict measures that will prevent their children from moving aimlessly and avoid any chances of catching the dreaded COVID-19 in an event of an outbreak.

Meanwhile Monze Mission Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr. Kaunda said the hospital had put up measures to ensure minimal risks by suspending certain activities at the hospital.

“We have suspended patient visiting hours until after the Epidemic is put under control. On this score I want to ask the community to ensure that they abide by this rule by not coming to cloud the entrance. This is a strange disease and the best we can do as individuals as well as a community is to avoid aimlessly movements especially to high risk areas such as the markets and town.

“We have also suspended elective surgical operations and specialist outpatient clinics  while emergencies will continue to be attended to in the usual,” he said.

The meeting was officially opened  District Commissioner Cyprian Hamayaanga who is the District Epidermic Preparedness Committee Chairperson.

Mr. Hamayaanga called for unity of purpose during the trying times as the disease has devastating effects on the district economic and the country at large.

He said if the measures being put in place are properly followed by all stakeholders the disease would be defeated in no time and that the country would go back to normalized business.

Some of the stakeholders present at the meeting included the District Health Medical Director, District Veterinary Officer, Representatives from the transporters, marketeers, the business community and the Civil Society among others.

Copyright © 2020 ZR.

News source: Zambia Reports

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