By PRISCA LUMINGU BANDA
WITH six dramatic Covid-19 deaths in one day, health authorities have observed an increase in home deaths meaning that people are not going to hospitals when they are sick.
Ministry of Health Director for Infectious Diseases, Lloyd Mulenga said the increase in deaths was an indication that people were shunning hospitals.
Zambia’s Covid 19 deaths now stand at 30, with 6 deaths reported yesterday alone.
Professor Mulenga wondered why people die from homes if they are not shunning health facilities because if someone died of Covid they would have experienced some symptoms at some point.
“What is happening is that someone might have been sick at home with another condition, then they also have covid-19, they may have died from the other condition or it may purely be covid-19,” Prof Mulenga said.
He said in as much as Government had put up restrictions on visiting health facilities, people should ensure that they visit the facilities when sick so that interventions could be implemented.
Prof Mulenga emphasised that people exhibiting respiratory challenges, fever or headache should ensure that they seek medical treatment to avoid deaths.
“Also what is important from this is that, sometimes even if someone is exhibiting respiratory symptoms, sometimes just a fever or headache, it can be a sign of Covid-19 and people may die in the community,” he said.
And Prof Mulenga said the coronavirus prevalence survey which would be conducted in six provinces would provide necessary information on the burden of the disease in the hospitals and communities.
“The survey will help us to see the burden of the disease in the hospital and community, and if we see that there is a high burden of disease in the community, there will be need to enhance sensitization to tell the community to come to the hospital when they are sick,” he said.
Prof Mulenga said the Ministry of Health did not want a situation where people only go to the health facility when they experience extreme symptoms which could lead to death.
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