The Folly of Ignoring COVID-19

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Author Godfrey Chitalu

PERHAPS 30 years ago, HIV AIDS knocked on the Zambian door. Many doubters looked at it as a passing phase. It was business as usual. Exchange of sexual partners, unprotected sex and general promiscuity was rife.

The condom was frowned upon by religious leaders and the target group of sexually active Zambians. The daring ones laughed; insisting the disease had sat on food.

Within a short period of time, our graveyards were overflowing. Almost all families became affected in one way of the other. Bread winners joined their ancestors, leaving grieving and economically emaciated families.

One foreign investigative journalist, armed with a camera, visited our hospitals incognito. His works on mortuary data was quite revealing.

It was heart rending to see how our country, according to him was desperately trying to cover up HIV related mortalities. Unknown was listed as the major cause of death by that time.

He unveiled the mystery that actually doctors did not have the guts to indicated in any way that HIV AIDS played a hand in our mortalities. His video and report never saw light in Zambia. The international media feasted on it like hungry hyenas. The majority of our people with poor net penetration didn’t even know about it.  

We are now in another phase: Covid 19 and it seems like Ostriches, our hands and legs are tied. Covid is knocking hard on the Zambian door. Our hospitals are overflowing. Numbers are numbing! Our capacity to contain the disease is inordinately limited.

The selfish international community has only linked 20% of our population to little known Covax Vaccine Initiative. Some of them have vaccinated up to 70% of their populations and yet they are allowing millions of vaccines to reach, near expiry. While our capacity to produce much needed oxygen for the hospitals need jacking up, our medical staff are jostling for better remuneration.  

The disease is on the lips of everyone but politicians! Ironically our politicians, because it’s an election year have conspired to continue campaigns. Its mind boggling.

I don’t understand why across the aisle; politicians are failing to walk the talk on Covid. Why are we allowing, what is being called door to door campaign? What is the relevance of road shows with thousands hugging, shaking and doing waa waa waa?

I can’t fathom any more. I can’t think deeply but aloud!  I can only write because my wife is a nurse! I can only write because my son is a doctor! Why would an entire nation be bewitched to put its citizens ku wire? Is politics and the fight for political power worth it, if done at the expense of the people?

How can one have a road show of 20,000 people? How can a door to door campaign involve 10,000 people? How many doors have these politicians knocked on in the past few weeks? Are they serious about their knocking and showing?

I have been to hospitals and have seen with my naked eyes how Covid 19 is affecting our people. Haven’t we lost respectable clergy to Covid 19?  What percent of our people are vaccinated?

What sensitization is being done on vaccination? When I took my vaccine, at a major central hospital, less than ten people were recorded on that day. Actual follows up for the week showed negligible numbers and yet here we are politicking! Indeed, Covid 19 has sat on food for some people. Ntenda yankala pachakudya zoona!

The author is a social commentator who writes for pleasure.

For reactions and feedback call: 0977466284| 0963013760, Email: goddychitty@gmail.com (@goddychitty) Twitter|Facebook)

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