DELMAS – Health MEC Sasekani Manzini joined the provincial health practitioners who are undertaking Covid-19 screening and testing in Delmas on Thursday.
MEC Manzini was accompanied by her host, the Mayor of Victor Khanye Local Municipality (VKLM), Vusi Buda, the VKLM Speaker, Robert Segone, MMC for Health and Social Services, Councillor Dorcas Yeko on a door to door screening visit and awareness drive in Delmas at the Extension 3 settlement.
Manzini was impressed with the efforts that the VKLM has rolled out regarding the social distancing awareness and ensuring the adherence to the guidelines thereof. “We are impressed with the current stats that they are still at zero. We want to maintain it and don’t want any new infections,” she said.
VKLM is still the only municipality in the Nkangala District without a reported case of the Covid-19 pandemic. Mayor Buda said, “We all have a duty and responsibility to ensure that we keep social distancing guidelines.”
The mayor was worried about the non-adherent gatherings at the Botleng Shopping Complex as adults stacked together like buns in a queue and children were playing around the area without masks or any protective gear. “You are not just protecting other people from getting infected, you are also protecting yourselves,” he said.
Manzini gave a provincial overview with regard to measures that they have taken as the Mpumalanga government stating that, “as a province we have different programs; we have just launched an online education (campaign) where we want to extend information.” She was referring to the mass reach online and social media platforms carry.
“The platform will be broadcasting different topics and airing different doctors to educate the masses on Covid-19 and the matters around it,” she said. “We continue to ensure that we have enough quarantine areas for people still awaiting their (negative) results or (in cases where) they cannot self-quarantine,” she said.
“We are prepared in terms of isolation through our facilities and our hospitals (we) are extending and ensuring that all the districts have isolation areas for those that will test positive for the virus and will need to go to hospital,” she explained.
Manzini conveyed her gratitude to Mpumalanga people indicating that she hoped they would continue the gesture of allowing the provincial health practitioners into their homes for screening and testing purposes as this would assist the government to minimise the infections in the province.
