THE Ministry of Health says it has removed all check-points on major highways out of Lusaka to stop person-to-person transmission of COVID-19.

And the Ministry says it is still working on modalities of giving health workers that are at the front-line of the fight against COVID-19 incentives which President Edgar Lungu promised them.

Recently, some health workers who sought anonymity told News Diggers that they had abandoned their posts because they had not yet been paid.

When contacted on this revelation, however, Ministry of Health spokesperson Dr Abel Kabalo announced that the Ministry had removed all check-points on major highways because they were unnecessary.

“As COVID-19 evolves, evidence shows that we have COVID-19 being transmitted throughout the country of Zambia. So, it is unnecessary to put up checkpoints. What we are advocating for is personal hygiene, social distancing, masking up etc. to stop person-to-person transmission of COVID-19,” Dr Kabalo said.

“We can have them when necessary.”

And commenting on remarks by Resident Doctors’ Association of Zambia (RDAZ) president Dr Isaac Sakala who had lamented that they had not received incentives two months after President Lungu’s directive, Dr Kabalo said the health workers were still being paid their salaries despite them not receiving the incentives.

He said modalities were currently being worked out to ensure the incentives would eventually be paid.

“Modalities are still being worked out. Soon, all involved shall get their incentives. The salaries are already being paid,” said Dr Kabalo.

In April, Health Minister Dr Chitalu Chilufya announced that President Lungu had granted incentives to health workers who were at the front-line of the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.