Health workers assaulted over Covid blood samples
Family members of a patient who died from Covid-19 on Friday in Likoma on Monday assaulted health workers who went to collect blood samples from them.
The 60-year-old woman died at St Peters Anglican Hospital hours after she tested positive for the virus.
However, when health workers requested family members for blood samples, they refused, accusing them of spreading lies that their relation had succumbed to Covid-19.
In an interview yesterday, Likoma district medical officer Matthias Londo confirmed the assault of the health workers in the village.
He said: “The health workers were assaulted in the presence of the man who invited us to get the blood samples. We started negotiations right on Friday soon after their relation died.
“But we faced resistance from the deceased family members despite engaging the village head.”
Londo said they also involved Likoma legislator and the councillor to persuade the family to accept giving blood samples for the test, but were surprised when the members assaulted the health workers.
He said they have since reported the matter to police.
Likoma Police Station spokesperson Mcliff Ngulube said they received a report from hospital officials, but said they are yet to make any arrest.
Recently, health workers have come under attack from community members. In May, some people attacked health workers in Ndirande Township, Blantyre who went to bury a person who died from the virus at Malabada Cemetery.
