Uncle Harvest asks: "IS THERE EQUITY IN THE DISTRIBUTION OF OXYGEN CYLINDERS?"

The Nation Newspaper of Tuesday, 2 March 2021, carries two articles of two companies, Afrox and Egenco, donating 128 and 500 oxygen cylinders respectively, a total of 628, to Zomba Central Hospital.

These are not the only donations the hospital has received. Simple arithmetic will show that the hospital now has more oxygen cylinders than the beds the hospital has.

A quick observation will show that Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Zomba Central Hospital, Kamuzu Central Hospital, and Mzuzu Central Hospital have dominated the reception of Covid19 donations, be it cylinders or other PPEs.

Admittedly, these hospitals carry the heaviest burden of Covid19 cases.

It would, however, be noted at the same time that rarely is news heard of donations to other hospitals like Nsanje, Neno, Phalombe, Ntchisi, Salima, Chitipa, or Likoma, to just mention a few.

It is well understood that for companies that donate, their choice of the hospital could reflect their business interest, paying back to communities that give them the most business.

This then, leaves a question to the Ministry of Health that begs an answer: "What is being done to ascertain equity in the distribution of Covid19 equipment?"

This question will become more fundamental when vaccines finally arrive in the country.

This, bearing in mind that vaccine proficiency will only be felt when all and not some have been vaccinated.

For example, a walk that dissects the Lilongwe district will easily show you that those people that live or work in the urban have a high level of awareness of the value of putting on masks than those in the peri-urban and rural areas.

Is this a problem of low levels of awareness for peri-urban and rural areas or that of consistent law enforcement for urban areas?

What needs to be done to address the shortfalls?

All efforts need to be taken in the fight against Covid19 to avoid "

The Law of the Animal Farm Complex" that some animals are more equal than others. President Lazarus Chakwera has since he took Office emphasized an all-inclusive philosophy.

How does the Ministry of Health ascertain practical demonstration of this in this Covid19 fight?