22 Nov 2020

Greater Francistown District Health Management Team (GFDHMT) Coordinator, Dr Botshelo Kgwaadira says Jubilee testing lab is experiencing shortage of staff for COVID-19 testing and this has resulted in the reduction of the number of tests done per day.

Dr Kgwaadira told BOPA in an interview November 19  that they tried to engage professional personnel from outside the country but the efforts went in vain as countries were also busy fighting the same pandemic.

He noted that the lab was capable of conducting around 700 test per day but due to staff shortage only 380 tests were done daily.

Also, Dr Kgwaadira said the lab was faced with shortage of space for receiving samples which were usually done at different facilities that offered swabbing.

He explained that besides Ntshe testing center, there were other clinics that offered the same services including Tonota clinic, Area W clinic and Mathangwane. 

He said plans were underway to enable other clinics to conduct swab sampling.

Additionally, he said other testing was conducted within the community especially at bus ranks, police stations, malls and clinics to determine the prevalence of the disease in the city, 

Giving an update on Matsiloje Isolation centre, Dr Kgwaadira said the centre was functional with a 370 capacity and currently had only 20 patients admitted.

Furthermore, he said the GFDHMT had managed to arm the place with necessary equipment and that included staff staying there full time.

However, he said the centre was experiencing shortage of space for a canteen to cater for staff but plans were underway to assist with the issue. 

Another issue Dr Kgwaadira said, was that of security.

He noted that though the centre was currently under Botswana Defence Force care, they were not securing the entire place hence it was vital for the district team to employ security personnel to attend to safety issues in the entire place.

Dr Kgwaadira said the Matsiloje isolation centre was meant to admit patients that were stable or with no extreme conditions.

In relation to Ntshe isolation centre, he said unlike Matsiloje it was mainly used to admit patients with serious health issues whom were to be examined by doctors. 

Dr Kgwaadira said at the moment, Ntshe had three patients and that its capacity was 21. 

He said the small capacity was a challenge as the center admitted patients from Greater Francistown and surrounding areas. 

The coordinator said currently Francistown has 484 cumulative cases of COVID-19, 23 of which were active cases, adding that they had recorded 458 recoveries, two deaths while one had been repatriated. ends