04 Jul 2021

Private health practitioners have been urged to come to the rescue as government grapples with ever declining numbers of health personnel who are either incapacitated or killed by covid-19. 

Assistant Minister of Health and Wellness Mr Sethomo Lelatisitswe made the call during a meeting with the Francistown District Health Management Team. 

The aim of the meeting was to assess the DHMT’s readiness to combat COVID-19. The Assistant Minister said although the government had bought vaccines, there were still challenges in delivery. 

He said the private partners could help the DHMT to vaccinate people and in information dissemination. He noted outbreaks at schools were a concern as they reflected the COVID-19 situation at home. As of last Friday, cumulative COVID-19 cases in Francistown and Greater Francistown stood at 9 232. 

DHMT coordinator, Dr Ivan Kgetsi said that there were 784 active cases, of which 234 were at isolation centres and 550 in home isolations. He said 8 330 people had recovered, 24 repatriated, and 94 had died. 

Dr Kgetsi said bed capacity at isolation and quarantine centres indicated that Matsiloje had 308 beds and had in admission 213 patients while Ntshe Clinic Isolation centre had 24 beds, 21 of which were occupied. 

He expressed concern at the high number of workers and students who died from Covid-19, noting 322 health-care workers, 1 778 students, 251 teachers, 61 police officers and 53 soldiers had died from covid-19. 

He noted shortage of health staff had increased the workload of remaining staff several fold, so much so that they could not even go on leave.  Some, he said had not gone on leave for the whole year. ends