19 May 2019

In a bid to reduce congestion at Nkoyaphiri clinic Antiretroviral (ARV) dispensary in Mogoditshane, its management has embarked on a project to deliver ARV medication refill at doorsteps of stable patients who are faithfully taking their medication.

Mr John Moloi who Nkoyaphiri clinic principal nursing officer, revealed in an interview on the sidelines of the ongoing Mogoditshane/Thamaga sub-council session recently.

He explained that the purpose of the pilot project, dubbed community medication refill, was to reduce congestion at the clinic. 

Mr Moloi said on a daily basis the clinic dispensed ARVs to about 90 patients.

However, he said with the new project they were targeting to reduce the number to at least 60 per day.

Mr Moloi further explained that the ARV medication would be prepackaged and taken to patients’ homes or at work within Nkoyaphiri area.

He  said the project would be rolled out to other clinics in Mogoditshane if successful.

The medication, he said would be taken to patients by community health workers, community home based care volunteers and health education workers. 

By doing so, there would be no costs involved in rolling out the project, he observed.

Nkoyaphiri North councilor, Mr Ditiro Mogomotsi was first to appreciate the initiative.

The clinic gives services to about 250 patients on a daily basis plus 90 patients at the ARV dispensary bringing the total number of patients to nearly 400 patients daily.

Mr Mogomotsi therefore urged fellow councillors to sensitise the public about the new initiative.

On other issues, councillor Mogomotsi applauded government for introduction of breakfast at primary schools saying “it is a wonderful initiative.”

He however stated that beautiful as it might be, the breakfast idea had started to experience hiccups although it was at its preliminary stage.

He said there was only one bakery in Mogoditshane to supply bread to primary schools.  He  was  concerned that the bakery would monopolise the supply of bread as one of the conditions to supply was that one must have a bakery licence. 

That, he said denied others business opportunities.

Mr Mogomotsi further noted that Mogoditshane sub-land board was slow in allocating residential plots.

He said currently the sub-land board was still processing applications dating as far back as 1993. 

He said this was a depressing state of affairs as most grown up people were still living under their parents’ roofs.

Nominated councillor for Mogoditshane, Ms Susan Kenosi concurred with Mr Mogomotsi and condemned the sub-land board, urging its officials to address the problem. 

She said in some cases people who had been allocated residential plots did not need them that much while some  acquired plots under dubious circumstances.

Others, she said were in possession of land board certificates but had not been allocated residential plots.  She therefore called on the sub-land to work on shortening the waiting list. ENDS