Mosquito Nets Distribution marred by Irregularities
Just when we raised concern over the desire of residents in the Western Area to receive their free supply of mosquito nets, the exercise kicked off. However, just a week after the distribution of the nets got underway side by side with the registration, it seems not all is well in this effort by the Health Ministry to stop malaria. Donor partners had injected millions of dollars into providing nets for households in the country. Though we are yet to be told about the duration of the entire exercise, some people say those charged with the responsibility of registering people are being selective - they register one house and ignore the one next door. And even more alarming are complaints by those who have been registered that when they show up at designated points to collect their nets, they encounter unnecessary and unexpected problems.
For those in the Grafton area, the nurses were reported to have told people that they had just one day to pick up their nets and that if they fail to do so, they’re done with. Other nurses working at Koya Town settlement on the hills of Peacock Farm community in Wellington are more magnanimous with their own 10 days grace period for people to collect their supply. But the net distributors there too are accused of being inept; after the people would have stood in the queue for long periods, the nurses would announce to the surprised crowd that they were finished for the day, and that’s after giving out an average of 30 nets!
Women who are mostly the people going to get the nets have been so incensed that some reportedly threw their registration cards at the nurses and walked away. What we can’t understand is why the nurses would set a particular date for people to collect their nets only for them to come to the distribution centres with a paltry number that they give out. We’ve heard of heated exchanges in many centres between the people and nurses over something that is a gift? And we are constrained to ask why the deliberate omission in the registering of some homes and the haphazard nature of the whole process itself? People are no longer fools and we’ve been tipped about what to expect soon. The ACC Czar should have his Scorpion squad keep a close watch at this whole mosquito nets distribution exercise!
Another Lazarus Rises in Malawi
Democracy is still a testy experience in African governance and many politicians have their own interpretation of government by the people, for the people and of the people. We cannot say it’s been doom and gloom when it comes to having credible and acceptable elections though. The era of despotic and autocratic rulers has receded into history. However as many countries on the continent continue to experience a relatively encouraging level of democracy, hiccups still remain and that largely revolve around elections that determine the power to stay in office or go into opposition.
The Southern Africa country of Malawi has come under the spotlight with Assemblies of God Pastor turned politician Lazarus Chakwera, winning a rerun election. In disputed elections in May 2019, his party lost to the then ruling party of incumbent Peter Mutharika, an outcome which for the first time in Malawi’s electoral history, got overturned by the country’s Supreme Court in February this year, which ordered a rerun . In the last few days Mutharika was beaten this time around. Although the former president and his supporters have touted about a legal challenge, that is unlikely, with a Mutharika close aide telling the BBC that for the good of the country, it would be necessary for them to move on. His statement wasn’t as definitive but was indicative of them opting for a likely closure to the matter in the end. There are lessons to be learned from the Malawian political debacle; it shows how powerfully effective our state institutions like the Courts in the continent could be, being occupied by people with unshakeable integrity and with a sense of patriotism. Yes Malawi’s Lazarus was considered ‘’dead’’ in the 2019 attempt at the Presidency and during an unexpected rerun he rose up from his political grave. He has indeed by all indications risen from what was an earlier political demise!
Exams bound Pupils return to school
Pupils preparing for NPSE, BECE and WASSCE, all major exams, are returning to school after three months of a stay home order by the government as it combats the coronavirus presence in the country. Many parents and guardians want their children to continue with their schooling but are curious about measures the school authorities have readily made available as they receive the kids back. Head Teachers and Principals are expected to get the young people put on facemasks and also observe other coronavirus preventive measures. Water in a veronica bucket and a bar of soap should be placed at every classroom door and the pupils should wash their hands, before entering their classroom. Fliers with bold Covid – 19 messages on prevention should also be visible in the school grounds and classrooms. The kids should be warned against close contact as we remain unsure just how reasonable social distancing could be observed in the classrooms. Of course we expect complete avoidance for now of the usual convergence of all school kids in the assembly hall or courtyard for devotion heralding the start of the school day. The subventions for learning institutions have been disbursed and so we expect school heads to dip into their kitty and spend on buckets and soap!
How long will Liverpool sit on the Perch?
The last successful years of Sir Alex at Old Trafford saw Manchester United overtake fierce rivals Liverpool in the numerical league trophy haul. It was the pinnacle of the legendary and unforgettable reign of the Scot who upon taking charge of United vowed to bring Liverpool’s dominance of top flight English football to a brutal end. His famous statement at the time of Liverpool sitting on their perch and his avowed plan to knock them off is etched in the folklore trove of memorable rivalry quotes between two of England’s greatest clubs. Well with Liverpool winning their first league title in three decades, Fergie might be having not too comfortable a night’s sleep.
The latest Reds triumph has reduced United’s league trophy lead to just 1. But knowing how intense the premier league is, honest Liverpool fans would be having troubling moments just thinking whether they would even up and then go on to surpass their bitter football foes. United are rediscovering their form under former player Ole Gunnar Solskjaer though some people are yet to be convinced if he was actually the stability and long- term managerial figure needed at the United dugout.
Liverpool already have an accomplished manager in Jurgen Klopp. The German, in the early days of his appointment as Liverpool Manager, in an interview, set a target period of four years that he believed the team would return to scooping up trophies once again. In his third year in charge, they won the Champions league after losing in the final a year before, to Madrid. The Super Cup and Club World Cup have followed and their latest and long- awaited premier league triumph encapsulates the new belief and glory that Klopp has brought back to Anfield. The coming seasons would determine whether indeed the Reds are truly rested on the perch.
Need to Upkeep Transformed Kissy Psychiatric Teaching Hospital
Commonly called the Kissy Mental home, the psychiatric hospital in the hilly settlement east of Freetown was established to treat persons with mental health problems. Being a health condition that our society frowns at or hardly discusses, relapsing sufferers and those completely overwhelmed by the illness, face stigmatisation. For many years it carried a horrible reputation and families kept sick relatives away. There were those perennial allegations of ill-treatment of patients including beatings and starvation and coupled with the appalling conditions of the place. Only fearsome mentally ill people that roamed the streets were dumped at the hospital. The place has over the years symbolically come to represent abandonment, neglect and decadence, until this latest impressive transformation.
It came as a great relief to see the hospital rehabilitated, refurbished and modernized. It has also got Teaching Hospital status. Hats off to American Not- For- Profit organization named Partners in Health for putting their resources into the place. Principal drove from state house up to Kissy to get the new look Psychiatric hospital formally opened. Medical students would now be encouraged to take up psychiatry study, an area they were reluctant to venture into due to the unappealing nature of the very facility that’s supposed to admit patients, and the stigmatisation of the patients and to some extent the workers.
Staff at the hospital should be able to properly look after patients and the structures there too. We will closely monitor happenings at the hospital.
Copyright © 2020 Politico Online
