‘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.