Health workers shun testing

26 Apr, 2020 - 00:04 0 Views
Health workers shun testing

The Sunday News

Munyaradzi Musiiwa, Midlands Correspondent
THE Ministry of Health and Child Care in Midlands has expressed concern over the reluctance by frontline workers to get tested for coronavirus despite the risky nature of their work.

The province has received 200 rapid test kits from Government as part of decentralising Covid-19 testing.

The Government recently announced mandatory testing for frontline workers particularly health care workers to reduce the risk of contracting the virus.

In an interview, Midlands Provincial Medical Director Dr Reginald Mhene said there was a low turnout by frontline workers for Covid-19 testing.

“The challenge we have as a province is that there is a low turnout of frontline workers who are being tested.

“We recently received 200 test kits from Government so that we do rapid tests of suspected cases as well as frontline workers.

“The challenge is the workers are reluctant to get tested in some instances we would test three people a day.

“These are the people who interact with several people on a daily basis but they do not get tested,” he said.

Dr Mhene also allayed fears of Covid-19 cases in Mberengwa and Shurugwi following the death of an artisanal miner after suffering from acute respiratory challenges accompanied by fever and headache.

It is understood that the artisanal miner, who was working at a mine in Mberengwa, succumbed to Covid-19 like symptoms while five of the deceased’s colleagues are said to be suffering from similar ailments.

Dr Mhene said the patient tested negative to Covid-19 but the provincial rapid response team has also tested the deceased’s workmates.

“We received a report that there were people from Mberengwa who were having symptoms similar to Covid-19.

“One of the patients was in Zvishavane. We made a follow up to Mapazuli Clinic but unfortunately the person died. We took specimen from the body for testing and the results came out negative. We also established that the person was working in Shurugwi also and has not been feeling well for two months. We are yet to record a single case of Covid-19 in Midlands,” he said.

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