13 Oct 2020

Ngami and Okavango district health management teams (DMHTs) have embarked on a community testing survey in an effort to contain the spread of COVID-19.

The objective of the survey, which commenced on Monday and would run until December 31, is to gauge the intensity and geographic spread of the disease as well as prevalence of the pandemic across all zones.

Giving an update during a special district disaster committee meeting, Dr Sandra Maripe of Ngami DHMT explained that the survey, to be conducted in Maun, Gumare and Seronga, was also expected to assist in quick identification and testing as well as immediate isolation.

In Maun, she said the campaign would be conducted in eight sites namely; Old Shopping Complex, Maun Technical College, Maun Police, Boseja Clinic, BOFWA, Maun Airport, bus rank and Letsholathebe Hospital.

For Gumare, the bus rank, mall, Kagiso Funeral Parlour and Gumare Hospital have been identified as testing sites while in Seronga it will be done at the clinic, police station and the mall.

Dr Maripe said permanent structures had been secured for the exercise at all sites except  for Maun bus rank where a tent would be used. 

The campaign, she said, would be targeting employee population which meant all workers based  at the identified sites would be tested.

At Kagiso Funeral Parlour, arriving corpses would be tested while in shopping complexes, the exercise would target hair dressers, bank employees, public servants and other businesses operating within the area.

She disclosed that the Ministry of Health and Wellness had hired eight officers to help with the study. 

Dr Maripe also stated that all the necessary resources had been mobilised.

It was reported that 656 people had been trained in contact tracing while Botswana Red Cross Society had deployed 250 people. 

She called on the targeted employees to cooperate with health officials for the success of the study.

Meanwhile, Dr Bokwena Moali has reported that currently, the district had conducted 1 078 laboratory tests for COVID-19 out of which seven were positive, six had recovered and one active case at Gumare.

Dr Moali said 11 people were in quarantine, three each at Semo and Executive Hotel in Gumare, five at Boseja Lodge while three suspected cases were at Matshwane isolation centre in Maun.

Committee members heard  that the handing over of more isolation centres such as Maun General Hospital and Shakawe Primary Hospital were expected to be done on  October 30.

Dr Moali said the district  did not have an active testing centre therefore specimens were sent to Gaborone, Francistown, Palapye and Chobe. 

She said works were ongoing at the Matshwane isolation site, which was handed over to the contractor last month, to convert it into a laboratory.

With regard to infection prevention control, Dr Moali explained that Letsholathebe Hospital had limited visitations to one person per patient once a day, while Gumare Primary Hospital had suspended all visitations. 

The hospital, she said, had also suspended admissions following the most recent case of a health care worker.

All patients requiring admissions were sent to Letsholathebe Hospital, she explained.

Dr Moali further stated that disinfection of wards had been  carried out and that all patients admitted in the past 10 days as well as health care workers, were swabbed. 

“We are still receiving the results of the above and infection control and prevention measures are being reinforced in the whole hospital,” she added.ends