09 Sep 2014

A social worker with the Kasane Primary Hospital, Mr Batisani Chaya has implored police officers in the north to find ways through which they can maintain high levels of productivity and still be able to deal with challenges facing them.

Officiating at a recent Botswana Police Northern Division’s Wellness Day under the theme ‘A healthy me, a healthy workplace,’ Mr Chaya said the theme was most relevant as it recognised that there is the risk of the workplace becoming a source of stress, discontent and burnout, especially for police officers.

“Our worst enemy is us when it comes to chronic diseases,” Mr Chaya noted, adding that chronic diseases could be reduced and be prevented.

He said fortunately there was a reduction in HIV infection rate in the Chobe District, which stands at 16.1 per cent, according to a survey conducted in 2012, as compared to the 23 per cent infection rate of 2008.

Lifestyle diseases taking a toll in the health system included cancer, which is at 6.5per cent, high blood pressure at 5.1 per cent, and diabetes at 1.4 per cent, he said, adding that all the said statistics include Chobe.

For his part, the Occupational Health & Safety Chaplain and Social Welfare Officer, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Ms Catherine Rauwe said the physical, spiritual and mental wellbeing of employees was of paramount importance and that, without a healthy police service the mandate of ensuring a safe and secure nation would be compromised.

Also, she said the nation had been thrown into a state of panic as a result of the recent outbreak of Ebola/Viral Hemorrhagic Fever in the West African region as well as in the Democratic Republic of Congo in the SADC region. 

“It is the desire of the police commissioner and indeed the entire organisation that all the necessary precautions are taken to prevent any risk of exposure to the deadly virus,” she said, adding that all efforts were being made through the ministry of health to keep the nation updated and that the national coordinating committee was in place to keep the nation updated. 

The objective of the annual event, according to the Northern Divisional Traffic Officer, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Christopher Ndlovu, is to raise awareness among police officers about the importance of wellness in the workplace. 

Assistant Commissioner Ndlovu said the day was also meant to encourage police officers to value their personal health and improve their wellbeing.

He said the theme was fitting as the government recognised staff wellness as central to service provision; hence an organisation filled with a healthy and fulfilled workforce is a productive one. 

Mr Ndlovu further said they chose Kasane to hold this year’s Wellness Day because it is an important centre for tourism, and also a strategic link between Southern African Development Community (SADC) and Central African sub-continents. 

“Being a fast developing region and a tourist centre, the area easily lends itself to a greater risk of a burden of diseases such as HIV, Ebola, and Malaria; as such, by virtue of their profession and geographic location, police officers were always in the frontline.

The Divisional Administration Officer, Senior Superintendent Chabaesele Mazebedi said they should stay alert because of the upcoming construction of the Kazungula Bridge which is expected to attract many people. ENDS