26 Mar 2020

Former Assistant Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Ms Botlogile Tshireletso has appealed to the nation to desist from raising false alarm about people who are in quarantine to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic . 

Ms Tshireletso observed in an interview, Tuesday that it was evident that some Batswana were ill-informed about  COVID-19. 

She said COVID-19 was real and had affected the whole world, hence the need for Batswana to comply with set preventative measures. 

She said  it was important that those who were suspected of  having the virus should be put on self quarantine while awaiting the tests results.

“Last week Tuesday I went to Moko Primary Hospital I had a fever and flu, so i went through consultation with a doctor only to find it wasn’t malaria so he ran some tests for COVID-19 since I had an met with a relative who had been to affected countries,” she said.

While awaiting the results, Ms Tshireletso said she was put on self quarantine at her home. 

To her surprise, she said there were rumours all over Mahalapye that she had the disease hence isolation. 

She said she received endless calls from friends, family enquiring if she was indeed infected with the virus.

As a leader and public figure, she said she did not take it personal but advised that the health department workers should be more sensitive when handling such cases because it was  clear that the news were leaked by health practitioners.

She said leaking information could cause unnecessary panic and also instill fear on the nation something she said could work against ensuring Botswana prevented spread of  the scourge. 

“ I am thinking of a situation where people are scared to go to the hospital when they feel they have symptoms just because they are scared that once they go to the hospital they will be the talk of town,” she decried.

Therefore, Ms Tshireletso  pleaded with health workers to create a welcoming environment  so that people would feel free to seek for help in their facilities and be dully assisted. 

She emphasised that Batswana should know that being quarantined did not imply that one was infected with the virus but rather to ensure that people were tested and if they had the virus they would find timely medical assistance.

“Quarantine shouldn’t be scary and people should be encouraged that when they experience symptoms they should see doctors to confirm,”  she said.

She further said Botswana was fortunate to had not yet registered a confirmed Corona case and urged people to preserve ‘this special blessing by adhering to the health advice like frequent washing of hands, use of hand sanitisers as well as masks for those with flue like symptoms.”

She commended Mahalapye health team at Moko Primary Hospital for monitoring patients on self quarantine through home visits. Ends