GOVT BUDGETS K 280M FOR EBOLA CONTROL PREPAREDNESS

Government says it has budgeted 280 Million Kwacha for Ebola control preparedness in the country.

The treasury has already authorized the Ministry of Health to use its resources it has now and that it will be refunded.

Minister of Health Dr. Jean Kalirani, while presenting a ministerial statement on the status of ebola and government preparedness in the national assembly on Monday, said her ministry was receiving technical guidance from the World Health Organization.

WHO, has lined up a number of activities to prepare the country to handle any case if Ebola be diagnosed in the country using the proposed funds.

The minister said her ministry with support from some development partners including DCD, MSF, UNICEF JICA WHO and some government ministries have been following up and monitoring actions in terms of resource mobilization and challenges being encountered in preparing for the control of the disease.

However the minister said the funding to the ministry for the month of August for its other operations was only K235 Million.

The minister further said that her ministry with the development partners are currently doing renovations for the isolation room at Chileka International Airport and orientation for airport staff was done but we are still waiting for protection equipment to be procured through the Central Medical Stores and prepositioned at the airport,”.

Kalirani said renovations for quarantine rooms at Kamuzu International Airport are almost complete and more protective equipment have been already supplied.

“Realizing that Ebola can also come to the country through land, my ministry has designated six border districts with ports of entry like Mwanza,Dedza, Mchinji, Karonga, Chitipa and Mulanje as Ebola management centers.

“My ministry has also designated the country’s three central hospitals namely Mzuzu, Kamuzu and Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital to be treatment centers through isolation rooms.

Kalirani further added that her ministry has sent 3 officers, one of them a medical specialist to Congo Brazzaville for Ebola training of trainers organized and supported by WHO.

The minister then assured the house that her ministry and other stakeholders is doing everything possible to control the transmission of the virus.