05 Nov 2019

Botswana Safari Guides Union (BOSAGU) intends to create a conducive working environment for its members.

Vice chairperson of the newly formed BOSAGU, Mr Goitsemang Kennetseng,  said in an interview recently that the health of employees working in the safari companies was compromised, adding that they were telephonically consulted by doctors when sick.

The vice chairperson stated that some employees lost their lives because of this.

“The union would focus on such issues, the arrangement is weird and put the employees’ health at risk. Our position was to negotiate with employers to revisit the arrangement.”

He explained that their aim was not to fight the employers, but to negotiate wages and working conditions terms as well as regulate relations between the employer and workers.

Mr Kennetseng said the union took collective action to enforce the terms of collective bargaining, raise new demands on behalf of its members and help settle  labour disputes.

He said the union would ensure that the general welfare of its members was taken into consideration.

Meanwhile, the issue of health malpractice in some safari companies operating in the delta had been topical in the North West District Council sessions following concerns by some councillors.

Councillors argued that some employees had reported that they were denied access to health services by their employers citing that they were not allowed to go for check-ups or had access to health personnel when sick.

The council took a decision to follow the issue with concerned employees to appreciate their grievances and act accordingly.

In addition, they were of the view that the arrangement was risky since there was a possibility of prescribing wrong treatment.

A team comprising of medical officers, councillors and some officers was assigned to visit the delta to investigate and verify allegations by the employees at the delta.

After the visit, the team produced a report, which confirmed allegations that there was medical malpractice since there was evidence of telephonic consultation within the camps between managers/clients and medical practitioners in Maun.

The report also indicated that medical confidentiality of staff within the camps was compromised due to prescription passed on to non-professionals.

The team also made some recommendations to address the issue of medical malpractice of which one called for safari operators to form the health and wellness committees, identify within the facility a sick/recovery bay and identify resident health personnel to promote overall health wellness and safety as immediate remedial while the District Health Management Team (DHMT) was recommended to institute case investigation for medical malpractice and also capacitate safari operators on workplace health and wellness. ENDS