15 Jun 2023

Medical staff at Nyangabgwe Referral Hospital is on a high alert after one patient presented herself with symptoms associated with cholera this week.

When visiting some patients admitted at the hospital this week, the Minister of Health, Dr Edwin Dikoloti disclosed that the suspected cholera case involves a 65-year-old woman from Somerset East who presented herself with symptoms of the disease.  

He said samples were taken from the patient and sent to the main laboratory in Gaborone. The hospital was awaiting results.

Dr Dikoloti advised the public to take precautionary measures, as they did during the COVID-19 pandemic, to guard against contracting the disease.

He confirmed that this was the first suspected case of cholera recorded in Botswana since the recent outbreak of the disease in some parts of South Africa.

Nyangabgwe Referral Hospital Superintendent, Dr Ivan Kgetse said the laboratory results might arrive this week, while the patient was in a stable condition. He said it has been established that though the woman have never travelled externally, she was recently visited by relatives who reside outside Botswana.

He said the hospital has also conducted some tests around Francistown, and so far all have been negative.

Dr Dikoloti was at the hospital to visit the two employees of Botswana Unified Revenue Service (BURS) who are still admitted after the bus accident that occurred between Francistown and Mathangwane on Sunday.

The duo were part of a group returning from a retreat in Kasane when their bus had a tyre burst and overturned, claiming the life of one officer.

Dr Dikoloti commended the management of the hospital as well as the police, rescue missions, paramedics, the fire brigade, Tati River Hospital and Francistown Academic Hospital as well as the public for their quick response to the emergency. He said the government appreciated all that was done by the hospital to save the lives of those who were involved in the accident.

He expressed concern about the incidents of this nature as they resulted in loss of lives and, in other cases, life-altering injuries, while the nation was left in a trauma.

He appealed that the nation should at all times stand with the families of the victims. He pleaded with the public to exercise caution on the roads, saying that was the only way to stop unnecessary loss of life due to accidents.

In an effort to better prepare for incidents of this nature, Dr Dikoloti disclosed that government would expand its emergency services units, and outsource some of the available space in health facilities to the private sector.

Dr Dikoloti said while government was concerned about fatal accidents, equally worrying was the rising incidence of non-communicable diseases in the country which put an additional strain on the public healthcare system.

Meanwhile, the deceased in the accident of the bus transporting BURS employees has been identified as Mr Tshenolo Rasenyai, who was stationed at Ramokgwebana border post as an assistant customs officer. He will be buried in his home village of Mmadinare on Saturday. ENDS