14 Nov 2013

The Ministry of Health has a policy on Tuberculosis (TB) infection control, which is being implemented by all health care facilities.

Responding to a question in Parliament, Minister of Health, Dr John Seakgosing said the policy required the facilities to ensure an environment where there would be free flow of air in and out of the building.

This policy, Dr Seakgosing explained, was intended to help control spread of TB among patients and staff in the facilities. Dr Seakgosing said Kanye Seventh Day Adventist Hospital had blankets, which were enough for all the patients in the hospital even in winter.

“The impact of opening windows regardless of the weather is health promotive in nature considering the existing infectious diseases,” he said. Dr Seakgosing said this helped patients not to acquire some diseases from the hospital.

He was responding to a question from Kanye South MP, Mr Kentse Rammidi. MP Rammidi had asked if the minister was aware that Kanye hospital had a policy not to close windows at the wards even in cold weather so as to avoid the spread of TB.

He also wanted to know if the blankets provided were sufficient to keep patients warm under such conditions as well as the impact the policy had on the health of patients. Ends