11 May 2014

A nurse at Bontleng clinic, Mr Mompoloki Maruatona, says the PrePex circumcision which is a painless, safe non-surgical adult male circumcision has been suspended.

Speaking during a media tour of the ACHAP school boys holiday Safe Male Circumcision (SMC) campaign ton May 9, Mr Maruatona said the PrePex was a study whose outcome would be looked into.

Mr Maruatona explained that even though the PrePex circumcision could have been adopted in Botswana, the system was designed for adult males.

He said the school boys holiday campaign was earmarking boys aged between 13 and 18 but it was the discretion of the surgical doctor to operate those below the stipulated ages. He explained that the boys were only circumcised on the consent of the parents or guardian.

He said no boys would be circumcised without firstly undergoing HIV test and that those testing, positing would be checked for the CD4 counts and can only be circumcised if their CD4 counts is above 300.

Mr Maruatona explained that the clinic received between 50 to 60 patients per day depending on the availability of operating doctors who were assisted by nurses. 

However, he said, there was only one operating doctor instead of two, who is assisted by six nurses

The Senior Communications and Advocacy Officer, Mr Kabo Monare, explained that ACHAP was implementing the campaign on behalf of the Ministry of Health.

Mr Monare said before embarking on the campaign, ACHAP communicated with all stakeholders, particularly school heads to about the campaign while the Ministry of Health provide all logistics such as their transportation . Ends