16 Doctors Die From COVID-19 Within 90 Days

The Zambia Medical Association have disclosed that, since January 2021, 16 medical doctors have died after testing positive for COVID-19.

Interviewed on Friday, the president of the Association, Dr Samson Chisele, said that it was unfortunate that Zambia continues to lose individuals who should be helping to fight the virus. 

This comes after Chisele demonstrated his concern over the number of doctors dying of the disease in April last year. The death of 16 doctors so far this year is a five-fold increase from the 3 doctors who died in 2019. 

The best way to protect these doctors from death due to COVID-19 is to vaccinate them, with the Covax vaccine scheme only being approved by the government last Wednesday. Around 3 million individuals over the age of 18 will receive Johnson and Johnson or the AstraZeneca vaccine through the scheme. The government will have to source funds to vaccinate the remaining 5.4 million eligible individuals. 

This move from the government was welcomed by Dr Chisele although the delayed decision to bring the vaccine into the country has not gone un-noticed. The decision is long overdue, especially when looking at the number of deaths and infections which the disease has caused within Zambia. 

Dr Chisele urged Zambians to take the opportunity of being vaccinated, if offered, as it is the most effective means of reducing further spread of the virus.  

Zambia has been one of the last countries in Africa to set up a plan to vaccinate its population, putting lives at risk as a result.