Govt has no equipment for disaster operations

A high-level search and rescue training currently under way at the Malawi Armed Forces College (Mafco) in Salima has exposed that government does not have equipment to use in case of such rescue operations as structural collapse events.

Malawi Defence Force (MDF), the fire brigade and officers from the Department of Disaster Management (DoDM) are undergoing a rescue operations training facilitated by a South African firm, Rescue South Africa.

Director for disaster risk reduction in DoDM James Chiusiwa said they do not have equipment to help rescue victims in case of an air crash, earthquake or collapse of high buildings.

Even the equipment used for training was brought by the South African firm.

“As government, we do not have the equipment, but in case of rescue operations, we have been depending on the MDF because it carries out specialised training in the field. But, all the same, in case of emergency, we will not be able to operate as we do not have the equipment,” said Chiusiwa.

He said after the training, his office will engage relevant institutions for consultations so that government should buy the equipment.

Rescue South Africa director of technical training, Marius Du Toit, said the equipment being used at Mafco is worth about K2.8 million. n