KITWE Teaching Hospital (KTH) over the weekend received 25 Brought In Dead (BID) bodies suspected to be COVID-19 related deaths.

KTH senior medical superintendent Abidan Chansa said the hospital had since commenced swabbing in order to establish the cause of deaths.

DR Chansa said this when Levy Business Park donated assorted items to the hospital for frontline workers.

He also said the hospital had so far recorded three deaths related to COVID-19 and that currently, there were six patients admitted.

He said of the six admitted, three were confirmed cases and were in a critical condition while three others had tests conducted awaiting results.

“The hospital at the weekend received 25 BIDs and at the moment, we have six patients and out of these, three are confirmed COVID-19 patients who are critically ill while the other three tests were done and waiting for results,” Dr Chansa said.

And Dr Chansa expressed concern with the number of people visiting their sick relatives adding that the hospital had opted to engage the Zambia police for reinforcement.

He said more than five people per patient was a very serious disaster and frustrating the efforts of the government in the fight against the pandemic.

“People are walking in aimlessly to visit their sick relatives, imagine five to 10 people per patient, this is unacceptable, we have opted to engage the Zambia police to help us with policing the hospital,” he said.

Dr Chansa said Luangwa ward was no longer high cost as it had been turned into a COVID-19 treatment room to accommodate more critical patients.

He emphasized the need for the public to adhere to all health guidelines given by government through the Ministry of Health, stressing that the pandemic was just getting worse now.

And Kitwe District health director Christopher Dube said last week alone, the district recorded 66 positive cases.

He said since the pandemic started, the district had tested 1,521 people out of which 141 tested positive.

He said currently, there were 90 active cases undergoing treatment and 36 had been discharged.

Dr Dube said the district office was still tracing 12 more out of the massive screening conducted recently.

Meanwhile, Kitwe District Commissioner Chileshe Bweupe expressed sadness with the reluctance to following health guidelines by the public.

He directed the health office and Kitwe City Council (KCC) to intensify patrols in public places to ensure that people followed the guidelines.

He said if possible, the Zambia police must help those inspecting so that all those not complying must be dealt with.

Donating the assorted items on behalf of Levy Business Park, Garden Court General Manager Christopher Nsenje said frontline workers were at risk and needed help.

He said the donated items included 50 hand towels, 50 double bedsheets, eight boxes of testing kits, 200 surgical masks and 50 face shields, among other items.