By Blackson Mkupatira
Mulanje, May 12, Mana: Mulanje District Hospital Environmental Health Officer (DEHO), Thomson Kajombo on Monday expressed worry over the conduct of the district’s first registered patient of the novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) who is not abiding by the hospital’s self-quarantine rules.
According to the hospital report, the victim is a 27-year-old man who came in the country on April 26, 2020 from South Africa through the Mwanza border.
He was put in quarantine on May 2, 2020 and tested positive on Saturday, May 9, 2020 to become the 57th covid-19 patient in the country.
Speaking during a Public Health Management Emergency Committee (PHMEC) meeting on Monday, Kajombo said the patient has been seen moving around in his village, going to the market and other public places even after he was told about his condition.
“We explained to him the measures to be taken, but when we visited him the next day we found out he had gone to the market.
We warned him that he would be taken to an isolation center away from his family in Blantyre if he continues with his actions but he said he was a breadwinner and that if he doesn’t go out his wife and child will have no food as some of his relations and the community are already shunning him,” said Kajombo.
He therefore suggested that stakeholders intervene by providing food and non-food support to the patient so that he remains in quarantine until his recovery.
Mulanje District Council Director of Health and Social Services (DHSS), Alinafe Kalanga said since the district has registered its first case, the health office will now move to control the spread and ensure that Mulanje does not register any covid-19 related deaths.
She said they are testing everyone who came in contact with the patient including hospital staff and so far, the results have come out negative.
“For us to register this case it means surveillance is being conducted properly. We will continue to identify and isolate cases in time to prevent further spreading.
“We will also sensitize communities on what this means as we have learned that our patient is being subjected to discrimination,” she added.
On patient not following doctor’s orders, Kalanga tasked the committee to come up with items to put in a necessity basket to be given to covid-19 patients who can’t afford to care for themselves while in quarantine.
“We hope partners will help us with resources. We also need full protective gear for our medical staff and money to conduct capacity building trainings now that the virus has been reported in the district,” she said.
Meanwhile, Malawi has a total number of 58 confirmed cases of Covid-19 including three deaths thus according to Ministry of Health.
