For several weeks, the number of pollutants has continued to increase. The country has a total of 24,426 cases and 418 deaths. A second wave more deadly than the previous one and which has more serious cases. A press conference was held on Wednesday, civil society organizations in the health care sector. The measures and response strategy that the authorities are taking to limit the spread are insufficient given the alarming increase in the number of cases, they say.
as reported from Antananarivo, Laetitia Bezain
With 2,600 cases, including 150 serious forms identified in just 15 days, civil society is sounding the alarm. It is not enough to open a center in the capital to accommodate Covid-19 patients, in addition to hospitals, explains Dr. Jean-Claude Rakotomalala, president of the Malagasy Coalition for Strengthening the Health System (Comaress).
“The risk is satiety in hospital because a seriously ill patient of Covid-19 can stay in hospital for a long time. It can continue for up to two or three weeks. Of course, if these forms continue to increase, there will be no places for other patients. It is true that a reception center has been opened for Covid-19 patients, but given the development of severe forms, there is a risk of satiety soon., Especially since winter is coming to Madagascar. If there are these serious forms, it also means that patients are waiting to come for treatment. So we also advise the population not to wait. As soon as there are signs, you must reach a health center, a doctor or go to the reception center set up by the state. We need collective solidarity, because the hour is starting to get serious. ”
Civil society calls for mass communication to citizens about in particular the development of the epidemic and the symptoms of the South African variant or the multiplication of care places and screening. In Antananarivo, only one center, the village of Voara, allows free screening. A center congested in recent days. Several Antananarivo say they had to stand in line for more than seven hours to perform a PCR test. Some discouraged have returned.
Hony Radert, general secretary of the collective for non-governmental organizations, also points to the lack of transparency in the management of funds set aside for the fight against Covid-19 and the lack of resources in hospitals. On Tuesday, the president of the National Platform for Civil Society Organizations, Mahamoudou Ndriandahy, died of Covid-19 at the CHU in Anosiala, in the capital.
“We regretted the death of one of our colleagues, one of the pillars of civil society, from Covid-19 after a lack of oxygen at the hospital where he was treated. How can that be? Funds have been released. We have the money. We had entrances. Why have we not had sufficient efforts to treat people? We do not see so far that the money has been used correctly and here again we ask for transparency. Today we see that the state has money for certain activities that are not prioritized. We are talking about the very advanced construction of Mahamasina Stadium. It was still $ 70 million. Was that the priority? Why do we not have enough efforts to treat the population when it is important? ”
The provinces of the Big Island are also not spared by this second wave of Covid-19. “The members of our platform have noticed a lack of materials, personal protective equipment, tests and medicines also at the regional level while the number of patients is increasing. People infected with Covid-19 do the treatment at home without respecting barrier gestures. So we also call on the self-discipline of the people and we call on those in charge at ministerial level to say that there are recommendations from civil society that have already been transferred in August 2020, explains Willy Jean Beninandiana, Executive Secretary. from HINA, the civil society platform for business.
To mitigate the economic consequences of the health crisis and protect the most vulnerable, these organizations call on the authorities “to swiftly decide on the vaccine appropriate for Madagascar, while respecting or disregarding everyone’s right to be vaccinated.”
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