By Petro Mkandawire
Blantyre, April 13, Mana: Senior Health Promotion and Public Relations Officer for Blantyre District Health Office, Chrissy Banda, has disclosed that the district has recorded 14 cases of people who consumed alcohol known as ‘Ambuye Nditengeni’ whereby 10 are registered dead.
Banda disclosed this Friday at Malawi Sun Hotel in Blantyre during a media engagement aimed at updating the media on disease outbreaks and capacitating them on Grievance Redress Mechanisms (GRM), a procedure that enables local communities to raise grievances with health facilities and seek redress when they feel aggrieved.
Banda said preliminary findings of all 14 victims, who consumed the alcohol believed to be made from ethanol, are males aged between 22 to 56 years and they consumed it from different local drinking spots in Manase Township, Blantyre.
“The preliminary findings have established that the alcohol has poison in it. We are still waiting for laboratory results which, according to the pathologist, will take two to three weeks to get confirmed.
"Investigations are still underway as there are some recommendations that police and other stakeholders should facilitate mass inspection and closure of drinking spots selling Ambuye Nditengeni widely Known as Magagada,” said Banda.
She added that health education in communities on alcohol abuse, surveillance and issuance of two press releases related to Magagada are some of the interventions that have been done so far.
Banda urged Health Surveillance Assistants and community members to report quickly to Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response coordinator in case of occurrence of new cases.
In a separate interview with Malawi News Agency (MANA) Southern Region Police Spokesperson, Joseph Sauka, said police have swung into operation to arrest those selling illicit alcohol, advising imbibers to be responsible when taking as well as choosing alcohol that would not compromise their health.
“As investigations are still underway, currently, some other make shift drinking spots (shabeen) owners have been arrested. We have put measures to counteract the effects of selling such alcoholic drinks. It is the responsibility of every consumer to refrain from non-standardized alcohol to avoid putting lives at risk,” said Sauka.
