UPND ready to work with govt on cholera fight

Tue, 09 Jan 2018 11:29:09 +0000

By AARON CHIYANZO

 THE opposition UPND has constituted a team that will be working in consultation with government health authorities to combat the cholera outbreak, party president Hakainde Hichilema has announced.

And PF media director, Sunday Chanda has advised the opposition party not to use the calamity to gain political mileage.

Mr Hichilema has insisted that government should declare the cholera outbreak a national emergency and release all resources at its disposal to help combat the epidemic.

He said in a statement that in as much as the government efforts instituted so far were recognised, there was need to do more in order to mitigate the cholera outbreak.

Mr Hichilema called on Zambians and corporate entities to work together and provide support in any way that was possible to end the calamity.

He assured that the party had committed to providing material support in fighting the outbreak, as would be advised by health authorities.

Mr Hichilema said that the team was ready to work with authorities and the public to see to it that the cholera fight was won.

“As a party, we have decided to commit ourselves to providing material support in fighting this outbreak which has so far claimed about 50 lives. Further to our discussions with health authorities when we visited selected cholera centres, we are waiting to hear from them on what we must make readily available to urgently support life. A team has been put together for this purpose,” he said.

Mr Hichilema stated that it was the party’s hope that the support would go a long way in mitigating some of the challenges that health officials were facing as they battled the outbreak.

Meanwhile, Mr Hichilema observed that the cholera situation was degenerating to unacceptable levels and threatening many innocent lives.

He expressed concern that out of 900 water samples from wells in Kanyama, more than 800 tested positive as announced by the Ministry of Health.

Mr Hichilema’s claims that leadership in government was failing to provide a coordinated multi sectoral response to the epidemic however incensed PF media director, Sunday Chanda, who has since advised the opposition leader not to politicize the calamity.

“On November 17 2015, UPND chief whip in parliament, Jack Mwiimbu was quoted in the Times of Zambia as saying that district commissioners being appointed by President Lungu are mere marketeers and street vendors. UPND thinks lowly of these people,” said Mr Chanda.