BY PATRICIA SIBANDA/PRESTIGE MUNTANGA
HEALTH workers at United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) and Ingutsheni Mental Hospital, who tested positive for COVID-19 virus late last year, have recovered.
This was revealed by UBH chief executive Harrison Rambanapasi who told Southern Eye last Friday that UBH staff were no longer under threat from the pandemic.
“Of all the 99 cases of COVID-19 among our health workers recorded in December, most of the infected health workers have recovered, while a small number is in quarantine,” Rambanapasi said.
“Currently we have seven members of our staff who are in quarantine after contracting COVID-19 in the past 10 days. The number is manageable,” he said,
Ingutsheni Hospital chief executive Nemache Mawere said all health workers, that contracted the virus at the mental health institution, had also fully recovered.
“We are working on how those recovered employees can get back to work. Otherwise we no longer have any cases of the virus, and we do test everyone on a daily basis,” Mawere said.
Last year, Ingutsheni Hospital recorded 53 COVID-19 cases among its staff while more than 170 doctors and nurses at Mpilo Central Hospital and UBH were placed on isolation last year after contracting the virus.
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Meanwhile, in an unrelated matter, Bulawayo hospitals are said to have been hit by severe shortages of diabetes medication.
This was revealed by national diabetes educator Leonard Malova Moyo who told Southern Eye that the situation was threatening the lives of people with diabetes who could go blind or become deaf if they go without medication for a long time.
“We are constantly in touch with the government, informing it about the shortages of diabetes medication in Bulawayo and the country as a whole.
“The government has been failing to provide diabetes statistics in the country, and we have raised the issue several times,” Moyo said.
“All government hospitals in Bulawayo have no medication for people living with diabetes. Diabetics are not being given the attention they deserve in this country. They are neglected.”
Moyo appealed to government to provide free treatment and medication for people living with diabetes as their medication was costly at private pharmacies.
“They are supposed to buy medication such as glucometer to taste sugar levels, strips and other things which are too expensive.
“Many people with sugar diabetes are dying, especially children due to lack of medication. The situation is very terrible.
“We want people with sugar diabetes to be treated and given medication freely in this country just like people living with HIV. Sugar diabetes is a deadly disease,” Moyo said.
Bulawayo provincial medical director Marphios Siamuchembu said he was yet to receive a report on shortages of medicines for diabetics.
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