Opinion / Columnist
'Zim hospitals overwhelmed by covid 19' - overwhelmed by 225 patients or official figures are fake
02 Jan 2021 at 10:25hrs | Views
Let me say this for the umpteenth time: Zimbabwe's official corona virus cases and deaths is but a fraction of the real and true figures.
Officially Zimbabwe has 13 867 cumulated cases of which 2 254 are active cases and 363 deaths. There have been 719 new cases and 9 deaths in the last three days showing the number of cases are on the increase.
"We hear UK beds are overwhelmed by Covid-19. Well, that's them.They say in SA, hospital admission thresholds are now quite high- that's them. But, let me tell you about our own situation, don't catch the virus if you can avoid it. We are being overwhelmed and overrun by this virus." commented Nick Mangwana on twitter.
Mangwana is the government spokesman and also the source of the official data on corona virus cases and deaths.
"We really are in it!"
"Those who doubt should call any hospital including private ones and hear what they will be told. Our capacity to admit other patients is extremely diminished."
There is very strange coming from some one authorised to give the definitive corona virus cases and deaths across the land. So he is himself doubting the official figures he has been dishing out!
Indeed, any one with half a brain has cause to doubt the official figures. If there are only 2 254 active cases and 10% of them, at most, would require hospitalisation. Why would a country of 16 million be running out of hospital beds after admitting only 225 corona virus patients, particularly when the country has had over a year to prepare to treat tens of thousands and, so far, had not happened?
One way Zimbabwe has failed to keep track of the true corona virus figures is because the country has not been testing, tracing and tracking as per World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendation and as common sense would dictate.
Last month there were many reported cases of corona virus cases at a number of school including Dadaya High School, in Zvishavane. The ration thing to do was to test all 1 000 or so students and staff. There was only enough test kits for 47 tests per day!
Even now with the number of corona virus surging up, Zimbabwe's test regime continues to remain wilfully inadequate. Yesterday the nation carried out 1 677 PCR test in total country wide!
No doubt many students went back home without ever being tests and all those who had the virus but not the symptoms continue spreading it to the rest of the community.
So by failing to carryout a US$2 test the nation could end put after one month with 100 corona virus cases traceable to just one individual and 10 of whom will require hospital treatment costing US$ 100 each, at least and 1 out of the 100 will die!
How many people in Zimbabwe today have corona virus and would be in isolation if the country was carrying out a more rigorous testing, tracking and tracing regime? And we are not going this to save US$2! What a criminal waste of human lives!
The official Zimbabwe covid 19 cases and deaths would suggest the country has done exceptionally in containing the pandemic but this will be overshadowed if was so because we falsified the figures. The matter will be much worse if in falsifying the figures we ending up putting more Zimbabweans at risk of getting the virus and many dying.
Thank God there are now a number of corona virus vaccines available. Still, as a third world country that will rely on the generosity of others to get the vaccine, it will not be for another year before a significant number of Zimbabweans get the jab.
Meanwhile, we must do something to end the blundering incompetence shown by this Zanu PF regime in the handling of the pandemic. There is no excuse why Zimbabwe has not increased the number of tests consider it is our only line of defence since our health care has all but collapsed.
I hope some day the country will carryout a thorough inquiry to uncover the truth on how Zimbabwe handled the corona virus pandemic. The true figure of how many people had the virus and how many died will never be known for certain still it will be useful to have more realistic figures than the official figures that even those complying them are dismissing with contempt!
Officially Zimbabwe has 13 867 cumulated cases of which 2 254 are active cases and 363 deaths. There have been 719 new cases and 9 deaths in the last three days showing the number of cases are on the increase.
"We hear UK beds are overwhelmed by Covid-19. Well, that's them.They say in SA, hospital admission thresholds are now quite high- that's them. But, let me tell you about our own situation, don't catch the virus if you can avoid it. We are being overwhelmed and overrun by this virus." commented Nick Mangwana on twitter.
Mangwana is the government spokesman and also the source of the official data on corona virus cases and deaths.
"We really are in it!"
"Those who doubt should call any hospital including private ones and hear what they will be told. Our capacity to admit other patients is extremely diminished."
There is very strange coming from some one authorised to give the definitive corona virus cases and deaths across the land. So he is himself doubting the official figures he has been dishing out!
Indeed, any one with half a brain has cause to doubt the official figures. If there are only 2 254 active cases and 10% of them, at most, would require hospitalisation. Why would a country of 16 million be running out of hospital beds after admitting only 225 corona virus patients, particularly when the country has had over a year to prepare to treat tens of thousands and, so far, had not happened?
One way Zimbabwe has failed to keep track of the true corona virus figures is because the country has not been testing, tracing and tracking as per World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendation and as common sense would dictate.
Last month there were many reported cases of corona virus cases at a number of school including Dadaya High School, in Zvishavane. The ration thing to do was to test all 1 000 or so students and staff. There was only enough test kits for 47 tests per day!
Even now with the number of corona virus surging up, Zimbabwe's test regime continues to remain wilfully inadequate. Yesterday the nation carried out 1 677 PCR test in total country wide!
No doubt many students went back home without ever being tests and all those who had the virus but not the symptoms continue spreading it to the rest of the community.
So by failing to carryout a US$2 test the nation could end put after one month with 100 corona virus cases traceable to just one individual and 10 of whom will require hospital treatment costing US$ 100 each, at least and 1 out of the 100 will die!
How many people in Zimbabwe today have corona virus and would be in isolation if the country was carrying out a more rigorous testing, tracking and tracing regime? And we are not going this to save US$2! What a criminal waste of human lives!
The official Zimbabwe covid 19 cases and deaths would suggest the country has done exceptionally in containing the pandemic but this will be overshadowed if was so because we falsified the figures. The matter will be much worse if in falsifying the figures we ending up putting more Zimbabweans at risk of getting the virus and many dying.
Thank God there are now a number of corona virus vaccines available. Still, as a third world country that will rely on the generosity of others to get the vaccine, it will not be for another year before a significant number of Zimbabweans get the jab.
Meanwhile, we must do something to end the blundering incompetence shown by this Zanu PF regime in the handling of the pandemic. There is no excuse why Zimbabwe has not increased the number of tests consider it is our only line of defence since our health care has all but collapsed.
I hope some day the country will carryout a thorough inquiry to uncover the truth on how Zimbabwe handled the corona virus pandemic. The true figure of how many people had the virus and how many died will never be known for certain still it will be useful to have more realistic figures than the official figures that even those complying them are dismissing with contempt!
Source - zimbabwelight.blogspot.com
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