Malawi govt rejects Chilima’s solutions to Covid-19 fight: Mutharika holds ‘prerogative’ over choice of place to be
Government says President Peter Mutharika holds the prerogative over the choice of the place to be, saying the country’s vice-president Saulos Chilima cannot dictate to the Head of State to leave Sanjika Palace in Blantyre and relocate to Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe.
Minister of Information and government spokesperson Mark Botomani was reacting to Chilima’s call at a news conference at the UTM Digital Command Centre in Area 10, Lilongwe, that Mutharika should immediately return to Kamuzu Palace to coordinate coronavirus (Covid-19) issues from the capital city.
“In any case, the President has been leading the fight against Covid-19 while in Blantyre,” Botomani said.
On Chilima’s call that the government should refurnish State House lodges such as Zomba, Mtunthama, Chikoko Bay in Mangochu and Mzuzu Lodges to be places for treatment when Covid-19 increases, Botomani said the government is well set by preparing several places.
“Actually, even in countries that are worst hit, we have not seen state lodges turned into treatment centres.
“It is in that regard that alternative places like stadiums have been turned into treatment centres,” the minister said.
He said that the Malawi College of Health Sciences campus have already been earmarked in case of increases and this is also in alignment to the proximity of trained medical personnel.
On assertions that the country do not even have enough ventilators to treat even 100 Covid-19 patients, Botomani disclosed that Malawi has over 20 ventilators available in public hospitals.
“We are lucky that so far most of our patients have mild symptoms and do not need ventilators,” he said.
The minister said the government, through UNICEF, is procuring more equipment for Covid-19 management, assuring, so far, there is no need for alarm.
The Vice-President, who provided a litany of solutions to government to contain the virus, including that Mutharika and his Cabinet members instead of fcommitting 10 percent of their salaries to the Covid-19 fight, the gesture is “too little and insignificant” hence they should increase to at least donate 50 percent of their salaries and fuel allocations.
Government has flatly rejected such a call.
Chilima, who is UTM Party president, also wondered why the country only has three testing centres—two in Blantyre and one in Lilongwe—with none in the Northern and Eastern regions.
Meanwhile, Principle Secretary forMinistry of Health Dr. Dan Namarika on Thursday said Malawi has not registered any positive Covid-19 case in the last 24 hours.
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kukakamila kufungatila ndalama ce pitala. ukuiwala that malawians ,i mean the fenuine citizens have been ever and since sourcing your trip from US ,your first plate of food since you arrived until today and you are worried what you will be doing once moved from this cushion seat.
anyway you are too old for anything. you are scared to die as an ordinary man. staye funeral will not mean anything you LAZY BASTARD
The president..minister heath and the entire cabinet say malawi is ready for corona virus. Chakwela and chilima say malawi is not ready..the government should have closed borders 3 months ago and malawi has only 20 beds with icu ventilators for 18 million of us..remember me one day ..we will see who the liar is ..
A minister rejecting proposals from the state vice president. Well to be honest the proposals were fair . Just to mention stadium overseas have hotels ..conference room and shops etc in them..stadiums are buildings and not a grass pitch surrounded by concrete stairs..therefore overseas they can be turned into hospitals..how can you turn five stadium into a hospital? It was govt policy to allow air passengers into the country and road passengers into the country even when the disease was declared a pandemic..now we hear Kamuzu Central hospital has only 3 fully functional ventilated icu beds which also saves for… Read more »
Chilima is power hungry. Rev Chakwera looks more like he is the Running Mate of Chilima. Bwana Chakwera you have chosen to work with a man who will be disloyal to you from day one. This man Chilima is a dangerous power hungry man he will not spare anyone who stands in his way. Rev Chakwera this man Chilima will do to you what he tried to do to Mutharika with lies about corruption and election rigging. By the way remember Chilima promised to tell the nation how Mutharika rigged the elections. What happened? Well a rigger cannot implicate himself… Read more »
Bravo. You have summed it up well. Chilima is power hungry and disloyal to the core.
There is nothing good he can say about the government.Does this man have elders at his home.Even at our villages people who are always busy kutapa mkamwa ,miseche , backbiting,milandu are questionable.When choosing a chief they look into these behaviors.Chilima is 100% on this behavior.What a leader?
I fully support and endorse what Rt H Saulos Chilima said. He sounds more Presidential than the ribbish coming from DPP.
150 days in mind
Both Chilima and Government are fools and crooks playing around with peoples minds. Each one of them is trying to be smarter than the other when they are all equally fools. First, Chilma is a senior fool because he is a VP in this very government and I do not see any reason why he should use poliical podiums to offer solutions on matters requiring his own government exigencies. Two, whtat is preventing Chilima from meeting Mutharika (his own boss) and discuss these issues before making a public statement. Three, why cant Mutharika simply accept the advice, and advise this… Read more »
I agree with you
You have A chicken Brain woman, my be you are living in Mars,
Well chilima is sidelined.. he could hav suggested that to the president if he was welcomed by president. Clearly his plan is the most practical solution I’ve hear in malawi so far. However please no malawi politics ..people could loose their jobs if their listen or acknowledge or suggest to president to watch ot listen to chilima speech. Even if the points r great it’s either they will ignored or crashed just coz they came from chilima. Theres absolutely no power or support given to the vice president from the cabinet or president therefore he is just talking as a… Read more »
You know what a good acid test would be? One of these government ministers to contract the virus. Forgive me for saying it but I am sure people understand where I am coming from. I am not wishing them ill (pun not intended) but to see what their reaction would be as they seem to be clue-less on how to handle this. We all know that the trend has been them being flown to hospitals outside the country (with South Africa being the preferred destination) to be treated. At the expense of the tax payer of course. What will they… Read more »
Mtondoli, indeed the government is not prepared. No strartegy in place to prevent or treat. I have been checking out the so called government website most recently a few seconds ago. There is no COVID-19 message or just a mention. Where are people getting the message and when a citizen takes a lead, he/she is thwarted.
Only time will tell. Am hoping that the scientific stories that BCG vaccinine that we all received builds immune systems capable of fighting the virus. Otherwise, i see doom. there is no leadership.
Very much true. Tiona ana awo akadawala kuti zitha bwanji. DPP ntizitsiru
Was just a piece of advice take it or leave it
Baseless advice typical drunkards
A Ndife you will understand the advice better when you or your is sick from the pandemic. kungotsutsira ukadeti opanada nawo phindu\\\\\\