15 Dec 2019

 Serowe District Health Management Team (DHMT) recently held a wellness fair in Mogorosi to sensitise residents on several diseases.

The guest speaker, Dr Dineo Kebadiretse, said such events were crucial because health services were brought closer to the villagers.

“Everyone, starting with a newly born child, has a right to live a healthy lifestyle. So I urge each and every one of you to work together with the health practitioners to combat diseases,” she said.

Dr Kebadiretse said for one to be considered healthy, they needed to be able to take care of themselves. She further explained that non-communicable diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes could be fought through exercise.

She said food and diet were also essential tools for one to live a healthier lifestyle.

She encouraged residents to refrain from using a lot of salt and to start consuming traditional fruits and vegetables.

Dr Kebadiretse said investigations had shown that traditional fruits and vegetables had high nutrients, lamenting that nine out of 10 people, did not eat fruits and vegetables.

Some of the factors that could lead to one’s health deteriorating, she said, was alcohol and drug abuse.

Dr Kebadiretse further revealed that 70 per cent of people were reluctant to visit hospitals.

She stressed the importance of pap smear tests for cervical cancer and also encouraged the residents to cooperate with health practitioners to fight diseases that could affect a lot of people.

One of the speakers, Sub Inspector Mogomotsi Morapedi lamented the alarming rate of teenage pregnancy in the village, revealing that the majority of cases were a result of defilement.

Mr Morapedi expressed concern that parents did not report defilement cases to the police for the perpetrators to face wrath of the law.

He encouraged parents to be friends with their children in order to teach them about the consequences of indulging in sexual activities at a young age.

Meanwhile, one of the midwives, Ms Neo Hungwe pleaded with parents to teach their girl children how to ‘handle’ themselves for them to be better young women.

Ms Hungwe said times had changed, hence parents should start discussing pregnancy issues with their children to avoid abortion. 

She also encouraged women to always register their pregnancies at an early stage to avoid complications during birth.

She also pleaded with HIV infected women to enrol in the PMTCT programme to avoid transmitting the virus to their unborn babies.

She stated that since the start of this year, 79 women died country wide and five in Serowe and surrounding areas due to birth related complications.

Kgosi Kago Pherethego encouraged residents to donate blood, especially since it was the festive season and advised them to check for different diseases to ensure their wellbeing. Ends