• The demand Zambia has had during the second wave of Covid-19 is oxygen.
• Over 70 % of Covid-19 patients who are admitted require oxygen.
• Government has plans to construct an oxygen plant on the Copperbelt and discussions have advanced.

Minister of Health says government’s plans to construct an Oxygen Plant on the Copperbelt have reached an advanced stage.
Speaking on the Copperbelt, Dr. Jonas Chanda noted that the demand for Oxygen during the second wave of the Coronavirus is high, as over 70 % of Covid-19 patients who are admitted to various isolation facilities require oxygen support.
“With our cooperating partners we have supplied a lot of oxygen to the Copperbelt Province, we have plans to construct an oxygen plant on the Copperbelt and discussions have advanced. One thing that Covid has taught us is that it cannot be business as usual in the health sector.”
And Dr. Chanda said Zambia’s Covid-19 situation is currently under control compared to the month of January when the second wave started.
He stated that the country was overwhelmed due to the huge numbers that were being recorded as over 500 patients would be admitted in one day, making Levy University Teaching Hospital full to capacity.
“The demand we have had during the second wave of Covid-19 is oxygen, over 70 % of patients who have Corona and are admitted require oxygen. No country in the world was prepared for the Covid, but I can assure you that the government has done very well.”
“If you look at the Covid-19 situation in Zambia, it is basically under control compared to where we are coming from in January when the second wave started. We were overwhelmed, huge numbers that we had, in one day we would have over 500 patients admitted and Levy University Teaching Hospital was full to capacity, there was not space and that’s why we have worked very well with private sector by allow public health facilities to be managing Covid-19 patients,” Dr. Chanda stated.
Dr. Chanda however observed that the numbers have drastically reduced, stating that there is over 60% reduction in admission, while the mortality rate has also gone down.
“Even the mortality rate, I think for many days we are talking about single digit mortality we used to have so many mortalities, we used to lose patients sometimes about 23 per day. We don’t want any life to be lost.”
Meanwhile, Dr. Chanda warned that health workers across the country against pilfering medicines from health institutions for whatever purposes.
He said the Ministry of health stands ready to discipline and dismiss any health worker who engages in corrupt activities without any delay.