By Thusang Butale, BFTU Secretary General
Gaborone, 03rd February 2020
Botswana Federation of Trade Unions (BFTU) has followed reports on the outbreak of the Corona Virus that has been spreading across the globe since January 2020. The Virus which was first reported in China, has recently claimed its first victim outside china in the Philippines. We have further noted communications from the Ministry of Health and Wellness on suspected corona virus patients who have been under quarantine at the Block 8 Clinic in Gaborone.
The 2019-nCov outbreak has been convoyed by unprecedented numbers of social media information some of which has been accurate and some mis-leading. The World Health Organisation has urged governments to share information in a timely manner and we hope Botswana government has been closely monitoring this data accordingly in the interest of Batswana. This request for data comes in light of the circulating myths and rumours surrounding the outbreak and the importance of sharing and making available to the public accurate and timely information from reliable sources.
LastΒ weekΒ BotswanaΒ quarantined its first suspected Corona VirusΒ Patient whoΒ arrivedΒ by flight into Gaborone at the Sir Seretse Khama International airport.Β Β Since then, thereΒ hasΒ been a reportedΒ totalΒ numberΒ of 5 suspected patients.
TheΒ Β outbreakΒ Β callsΒ Β onΒ Β allΒ organisationsΒ Β including CivilΒ Β SocietyΒ Β Organisation, BusinessΒ Β and Trade Unions to ensure a worker andΒ people centred response. WeΒ have workers working at BorderΒ posts, Airports, clinics,Β hospitals andΒ otherΒ workplaces whoΒ need toΒ beΒ properlyΒ sensitised andΒ provided with adequate knowledge and resources toΒ beΒ betterΒ prepared toΒ deal with suspectedΒ patients and implement the right containmentΒ measures while at the same timeΒ protecting themselves from infection. TheΒ communities in Botswana alsoΒ needΒ toΒ be engagedΒ so that they canΒ beΒ partΒ of the response.
BFTU concerns
BFTU regards aΒ healthyΒ nation as an asset and aΒ basis for sustainableΒ development, that accessΒ toΒ qualityΒ health care is aΒ human right that shouldΒ be extendedΒ to all citizens, thatΒ people are theΒ nationβsΒ greatest asset and thatΒ noΒ meaningful and sustainableΒ nationalΒ development canΒ occur when theΒ population doesΒ not enjoyΒ the highestΒ levelsΒ of health possible.
One way to ensure and guarantee a healthy nation is to ensure health consciousness amongst
the peopleΒ by making it part of ourΒ daily lives.Β ThisΒ canΒ be doneΒ byΒ ensuring thatΒ lessons in healthΒ care,Β hygieneΒ and firstΒ aidΒ areΒ compulsory in bothΒ primaryΒ and secondaryΒ schoolΒ curriculum.Β CollectiveΒ Β l a b o u rΒ Β Β agreementsΒ Β mustΒ Β reflectΒ Β commitmentsΒ Β fromΒ Β employersΒ toΒ Β developΒ Β healthΒ Β consciousnessΒ Β amongstΒ Β workersΒ Β inΒ Β theirΒ Β safetyΒ Β andΒ Β healthΒ Β education program. The Government ofΒ Botswana must ratify OSHΒ conventionsΒ and provide resources needed in healthΒ careΒ facilities.
The Nationβs preparedness toΒ addressing outbreaks should not be reactive butΒ Botswana must be proactive when itΒ comes to healthΒ and safety issues.
InΒ conclusionΒ weΒ urgeΒ allΒ workers,Β employersΒ andΒ allΒ Batswana toΒ cooperateΒ andΒ limitΒ human toΒ human transmissionΒ and econdaryΒ infectionsΒ byΒ followingΒ guidelinesΒ issuedΒ by theΒ MinistryΒ of Health and Wellness.
TradeΒ unions,Β CSOΒ andΒ BusinessesΒ must takeΒ partΒ inΒ creatingΒ awarenessΒ by sharing timelyΒ accurateΒ informationΒ withΒ workersΒ and theΒ generalΒ public.Β Workplace toolΒ box talksΒ and morning/prayer meetings shouldΒ beΒ used to shareΒ information.Β Clinics mustΒ alsoΒ disseminateΒ information to theΒ generalΒ public.Β WeΒ urgeΒ councillors toΒ use theirΒ usualΒ publicΒ announcement measures toΒ communicate toΒ Batswana,Β inΒ their areas,Β relevantΒ informationΒ toΒ sensitise andΒ raiseΒ awareness.
Government must strengthen identification processes, isolate and care for patients early and also address crucial unknowns regarding clinical severity, diagnostic processes and treatment options. Communication from Government remains critical and the nation must be made aware of risks and follow up of contacts. This also requires implementation of health measures for travellers, strict quarantine processes and advanced monitoring of inbound flights and border controls.