21 Mar 2019

Scottish Livingstone Hospital has agreed to transport corpses to medical doctors for death certification.

Kweneng East DHMT’s head of corporate services, Mr Abednego Mafhoko, confirmed this during Kweneng District full council meeting recently.

Councillors had complained that health officials refused to accept corpses or transport them for death certification.

Mr Mafhoko stated that following the Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Alfred Madigele’s response in Parliament recently that certifying a person dead was under the scope of practice of medical doctors as opposed to any other professionals, they were compelled to act accordingly. 

“I know it has been the practice that we do not transport dead bodies, but I am not alive to any guideline or correspondence to that effect, but we will start doing it” he said. 

Councillors among them Ms Caroline Bogale of Tsetseng/Motokwe were of the view that it was not right for health officials to refuse to transport the dead.

Cllr Bogale’s sentiments were echoed by Thamaga West Cllr Molatedi Selala, who felt there was contradiction in the arrangement since only doctors had the authority to declare a person dead, saying it was wrong for other health officials to reject lifeless bodies.

On other issues, Mr Mafhoko maintained that it was their responsibility to ensure availability of drugs for patients all the time rather than make them search for medication. 

He, however, acknowledged challenges in the supply of Hypertension drugs, but confirmed the improved situation in all district health facilities and the district warehouse. 

Regarding the recently reported Malaria cases at Macheng Junior Secondary School in Sojwe, Mr Mafhoko confirmed that two cases were identified in boys’ hostel, who were admitted and discharged while screening of 78 pupils was conducted but the report was negative. 

In relations to the recent emergence of Mass hysteria cases at Lempu Junior Secondary School in Salajwe, Mr Mafhoko stated that the rapid response team had since been dispatched to the school for monitoring of the situation.

He further indicated that action had been taken to ensure that relevant stakeholders were engaged to come up with a comprehensive report that would appropriately guide on the way forward. Ends