Written by Richard Kayenda
Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) has commended the new preventive measures against Covid 19 which President Arthur Peter Mutharika has announced, but further says there is more the government ought to do.
According to a statement which the organisation has released yesterday, the messages the government is making should be spread far and wide to reach the masses who are particularly based in the villages.
Acting Chairperson for HRDC, Gift Trapence, said government has to reduce water tariffs as one way of making sure that people observe hygiene by washing their hands regularly and also reduce the tax free band so that people are relieved of the taxes which are way higher.
Trapence has also said the special equipment that the government is putting in the hospitals in readiness for the fight against Covid 19 should also be put in the rural and hard to reach areas because there are also people looking up to the same medical assistance.
However, Minister of Information, Honorable Mark Botomani, has responded to the call by saying government is already doing everything possible to win the fight against Covid 19. He has further assured HRDC that government will consider the recommendations when it officially receives the statement.
“Government will continue to approach the right succession since it is committed. As for the measures which they have proposed, we might be waiting for their statement before we make an informed response to the same,” said Botomani.
Malawi has, so far, registered four cases of Covid 19 disease; three in Lilongwe and one in Blantyre. The disease has killed over 50 thousand people across the world.