Education Minister visits survivors of Dedza fatal accident
Minister of Education Science and Technology, Bright Msaka, visited the survivors of the Dedza road accident involving students from Mzuzu University and Mzuzu Technical College at Dedza District Hospital around at 7 o’clock Sunday in the evening.
The minister, who was accompanied by the Principal Secretary from the ministry, Justin Saidi, went to see the condition of the students who are in the male and female wards at the hospital.
In his remarks, Msaka said he was deeply saddened by the death of the four students and was shocked looking at the pictures of the accident and the condition of the survivors.
“I thought of coming here at Dedza this evening so that I should visit and see the condition of the survivors of this terrible accident. I should say that I have managed to talk to each one of them and I am happy that they have received the medical attention timely,” said Msaka.
He further commended the medical practitioners at the hospital for the special attention they rendered to the victims.
Dedza District Health Officer (DHO), Solomon Jere, said lack of a special room where they can treat casualties is a very big challenge at the hospital looking at how the district hospital is prone to such emergencies.
Currently, there are eighteen survivors receiving medical attention at the hospital while others have been referred to Kamuzu Central Hospital in Lilongwe. All the 18 visited looked to be in stable condition.
At the time of accident, the 39 passengers were travelling in a coaster BS 8599 coming from Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST) in Thyolo where they participated in the quarterfinals of the National Bank basketball college tournament which took place on Saturday 25 November, 2017.
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People you talked alot za ngozi ija ya MDF. Nanga awa nawonso amapha Nkhuku kapena Mbuzi za anthu? kuti apange ngozi? ziwani kuti ngozi imachika pamseu malingana ndinthawiyo basi. Tiyeni tizisamala tikamalakhula. Get well soon all student from Mzuzu University and from Mzuzu Technical college komanso tikukufunilani kuchira msanganso nonse amene anzathu munapanga ngozi pa 2 November, 2017 a MDF.
What the Minister has done is commendable but as a ministry we cannot just sit and watch our children die like this because of reckless driving. We need to come up with policies on speed – maximum speed should be 100 and also time of travel should be restricted- no driving school vehicles after 8 PM.
The other issue is to discuss is on how to safeguard these students when they go to the lake. We often lose a student in almost each and every trip students go to the lake. Ministry should also look into this. I was so touched by the loss of a Poly student in October.
The other issue to consider is conditions of service for the drivers. Most drivers over work. Recently, the driver from Mzuni was felling students to various destinations for practicals. It was sad to see a driver driving all night dropping students in different destinations – Lilongwe, Salima, Zomba and back to Mzuzu without rest. That over working predisposes drivers to fatigue and loss of attention when driving. Let us come up with a policy on this.
Let us remember that these accidents are caused because of lack of our responsibility and not by satanism. We need to put in place rules and regulations, take care of our vehicles- servicing the cars, control speed, maintain our roads and give ample time to our drivers to rest. Otherwise, we will keep on blaming satanism because of our recklessness.
Let us emulate the examples in NGOs, Embassies where there is strick speed limit and vehicles are not allowed to travel after 6:00pm.
The other issue is to control the students them selves. Some students encourage cruising and if the driver is immature listen to these students leading to accidents. So my fellow Malawians, let us know that every accident is preventable. Let us be responsible by making sure that our cars are well maintained, the police are also worsening all this because their focus is on money and not doing their job, their focus is on theft of money from the drivers.
So hounorable minister, please take lead in this discussion. It’s not a question of asking the students but coming up with policy guidelines for all schools to follow starting from primary to college. Need to see stop to these reckless deaths of our beautiful children. Let us save Malawi.
I remain disappointed by these deaths.
only if we had two or three people with such thinking, this failed shit of a country could have been a better place to live in!!!!!!!!! thank you very much for your wise arguments, sir, i cant agree more!!!!!!!