Zambian Bishop Undergoing Care for COVID-19 Says He is “in stable condition in hospital”

“I am well taken care of here and there is no reason to worry about. I'm calm and confident to pull through this COVID-19 attack,” Bishop Hamungole says, and adds, “Fr. Oliver has delivered all the medication which the hospital needs to complete list for my treatment.” 

The Local Ordinary of Monze Diocese who doubles as the Chairman of the Commission for Social Communications of the Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB) urges the general public to take COVID-19 preventive protocols seriously in order to help stop the spread of the pandemic.

“I want you to take COVID-19 pandemic real and to urge you to follow all health regulations,” the Prelate who was ordained a Bishop in May 2014 after years of service at the Rome-based Vatican Radio urges in his Facebook post.

He goes on to express his appreciation to the people of God in Zambia for journeying with him in prayer saying, “I wish to thank you for your prayers. Let us remain United in prayer!”

Bishop Hamungole is the first Catholic Bishop known to have contracted the virus in his country where 21,993 cases have been reported, including 398 deaths and 19,229 recoveries.

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In Africa, the President of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM), Phillip Cardinal Ouédraogo, tested positive for the virus in April 2020 and later recovered. Earlier, in March 2020, the Vicar Apostolic of Ethiopia’s Gambella Vicariate, Bishop Angelo Moreschi, succumbed to the virus.

In August, the Bishop of Nigeria’s Yola Diocese also tested positive for COVID-19 and later recovered. 

The Archbishop of Kenya’s Nyeri Archdiocese who recovered from the disease expressed appreciation to the people of God in the East Africa country, thanking them for journeying with him in prayers as he battled with  COVID-19.

Jude Atemanke is a Cameroonian journalist with a passion for Catholic Church communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Buea in Cameroon. Currently, Jude serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.