ZMA Calls For Adequate PPE To Protect Health Workers

The Zambia Medical Association (ZMA) has expressed concern regarding the recent reports of frontline workers testing positive for COVID-19. 

The group’s Secretary General Dr. Masiku Phiri has stated, “The association has learnt with great concern of health care workers, first at Chilenje First Level Hospital and later Levy Mwanawasa Teaching Hospital who have contracted the disease. We deeply sympathize with the infected doctor and other frontline workers as we wish them a quick recovery.”

At least nine medical workers have tested positive to date and are now under quarantine.

“We call upon government to ensure continuous provision of adequate PPEs and to hastily honour the policy directive on incentives in order to mitigate the challenges being faced at workplaces by these hardworking health care providers,” he continued. 

Dr. Masiku Phiri also stated, “ZMA wishes to salute the soldiers mounting a great fight against COVID 19 by putting service before self and their families during the time spent in treatment, isolation and quarantine centres.” 

Meanwhile, ZMA President Dr Samson Chisele has called on government to quickly implement the presidential directive on incentives for healthcare workers in order to mitigate some of the risks they are facing. 

Dr. Chisele is also quoted as emphasizing the importance of government moving quickly to engage additional personnel in line with its previous pledge. 

“I think as things stand now, government is in the process of employing those 3,000 health workers. Those 3,000 health workers have yet to commence their duties and I think that once they have started, we can make an assessment as to whether we should be needing more but definitely, we need those that are being employed now to quickly join the fight so that we are able to have less shifts so to speak and avoid perhaps people working longer hours…The process…is underway to employ those 3,000 paramedics and 400 medical doctors so hopefully, they can take their positions sooner rather than later,” he stated.