10 Nov 2015

The Central Transport Office (CTO) northern region officers have been encouraged to undergo routine medical tests and adhere to medication.

Maun CTO plant manager, Mr Mathata Tshoswane, said employees in the Ministry of Transport and Communications were  faced with challenges of unhealthy lifestyles as the nature of their duty required extensive travelling making them susceptible to unhealthy food. 

Mr Tshoswane said during wellness day that the nature of their duty also made the employees vulnerable to diseases such as HIV/AIDS since they were likely to engage in multiple concurrent relationships.

He said it was established that the Ministry of Transport and Communications had high numbers of people affected and infected with HIV/ AIDS.

Mr Tshoshwane therefore said it was decided that wellness committees be strengthened hence hosting a combined fitness workshop for their northern employees.

The workshop, he said, was meant to promote team work, share ideas and to assist those affected among others to enhance service delivery.

In an interview, a nurse from Letsholathe II Memorial Hospital, Mr Boago Molapisi, said it was vital for people to have a normal Body Mass Index (BMI).

Mr Molapisi noted that BMI required that someone's weight, height and age be proportional.

He said if an individual's weight surpassed their height, the person was said to be obese while if one's weight was less than height the individual was considered underweight. 

He therefore said people ought to eat healthy food that included fruits and vegetables, lots of protein, and reduce stress but also do routine medical checks to attain a normal BMI. Ends