‘We are in this together’: Chakwera commends private citizens, institution for donations to Covid fight
President Lazarus Chakwera has commended several Malawian institutions and private citizens for their vibrant initiative to raise money and contribute to buy personal protective equipment (PPE) and medicines in public hospitals to fight the Covid-19 pandemic.
Addressing the nation on Sunday, Chakwera said he has ordered the presidential taskforce on Covid-19 to engage the various initiative for better coordination to avoid redundancy.
In his speech, Chakwera specifically commended the efforts of the Society of Medical Doctors, the Covid Response by Private Citizens which has already helped secure oxygen cylinders and essential medicines at the four main public hospitals and another initiative providing frontline health workers with food on a daily basis.
“I have singled out these initiatives from other equally important acts of generosity because these one are examples of Malawians doing sacrificial things for their own country,” said Chakwera.
The President encouraged Malawians to “be part of such initiative” saying “ they add value to government interventions that are funded by your taxes.”
He thanked those leading the initiatives for responding to the needs and his call for support during the state of disaster he declared two weeks ago.
“Just because government has rolled out a response worth billions does not mean a response worth millions is not needed. We are in this together,” said Chakwera.
The Malawi leader also announced that government will subsidise maize in Agriculture Development and Marketing Corporation (Admarc) markets as a social protection measure to ensure people whose incomes have been hit hard by the pandemic can afford food.
During the address, the President was flanked by experts on the pandemic – Secretary for Health Charles Mwansambo and Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 co-chairperson John Phuka.
The fight against the pandemic has gained momentum since President Chakwera drafted in Vice- President Saulos Chilima to lead a review of Covid-19 measures and reposition the response when he declared a State of National Disaster about two weeks ago.
Matama onse aja a aChakwera nthawi ya kampeni ine ndimayesa ali ndi ma sponsor ambiri ku American. Nanga tipanga creat ntchito zambiri ndimayesa ali ndi ma sponsor kapena ayitanitsa ma investors amene amadziwana nawo ali ku American ko. Pano akutiuzanso zoti tichite kuti tigule ma PPEs. Kodi a Chakwera wa amadziwa kupanga priorities zinthu. Oxygen cylinders ndi PPEs chofunika nsanga ndi chiti. Boma la nyolonyo libedi dongosolo. Step down akhalepo wolongosoka. Sizomapita ku nyanja kukanjoya kuli covid. Kupita kunyanja ndi ku pewa corona chofunika nsanga ndi chiti?
We are in this together indeed except you are eating very well when most Malawians are starving. You don’t have to dip in your pocket to buy expensive fuel while Malawians have to dig deeper into their dwindling reserves. Mr president, you don’t have to sell goods daily or work daily to eat but most Malawians that’s how life is and your ill-advised declaration of lockdown makes it difficult to make ends meet, it’s as you have passed a hunger sentence against most Malawians. I beg you to end this job killing lockdown which has no basis for a country… Read more »
Osamangolubwalubwa apa. First Thing Please Buy Gas Cylinders.. At least Reserve K5 Billion for the Gas Cylinders. The Rest mukhoza kuzidya as your Government is well known for that. I rest my case.
Reduce fuel price dude,,,, what are you waiting for???