25 Aug 2013

Pregnant women should avoid seeking help from home based traditional healers and midwifes while government clinics and hospitals are available to provide services. 

This was said by Humana People to People Botswana project leader Ms Eldar Mudongo, in a workshop for traditional healers held at Kotolaname in Kweneng West recently.

The utmost danger, she said, was that in some cases they expose their patients to risks of contracting HIV AIDS as they do not use protective gloves all the time.

She urged traditional healers to refer patients to the clinics so that they may be assisted by trained doctors and nurses, saying sometimes pregnant women request for help while they are on programs such as Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (P.M.T.C.T) and they end up losing their kids due to failure to take correct medication offered at the hospitals.

 “One of our objectives is to know if traditional healers work hand in hand with clinics concerning Sexual Transmitted Diseases (STDs) and HIV/AIDS,” said Modongo.

For his part one of the pastors Mr Onalenna Chabadiile, mentioned that majority of traditional healers who cheat people by taking their money pretending to heal them are failing to attend the workshops to learn about HIV infection and other (STDs), saying they continue using one razor blade in different people which result in spreading the virus.

In addition to Chabaditsile’s concern, the Village Committee Members decried that they are troubled by some patients who are given antiretroviral therapy (ARV) while they are failing to use them. 

They said they move around the area to encourage patients to take the medication.

For her part Kotolaname clinic nurse Ms Patience Ntsoma said they have programs such as Pap smear which is testing cervical cancer in women, P.M.T.C.T for HIV positive women, testing for turbeculosis, providing ARVs and Safe Male Circumcision (S.M.C).

  Furthermore Monitoring and Evaluation Officer also District AIDS Coordinator, Mr Kelvin Letlole said from April to June the cases of children who are born with HIV is worrisome, emphasising that they have about five cases while the P.M.T.C.T program is offered free.

 “Out of 247 registered pregnant women, about 201 were tested for HIV and followed the guidelines for P.M.T.C.T while the rest neglected the program. Majority of men in Letlhakeng west are slow in using government health programs, about 2 806 patients using ARVs only 975 men are on the program and the rest are women. 

In S.M.C about 90 per cent of males who have done circumcision are students, elder men are not interested,” said Letlole. 

  When giving closing remarks councillor for Lesilakgokong/Kotolaname Mr Skhidzah Afitile, encouraged pregnant women to stop being assisted by traditional healers saying some end up having miscarriages. 

He said some of the youths are involved in excessive alcohol drinking while taking ARV medication, adding that people should care for themselves.

  Meanwhile he appreciated Humana people to people and health employees for their teachings, saying traditional healers should encourage their workmates to attend workshops. ENDS