Ntsoaki Motaung
The 35 positive Covid-19 cases among Lesotho health professionals forced their association, Lesotho Nurses Association (LNA) to turn the Royal Family for help.
LNA reported that 35 of its members tested positive for Covid-19 this past week alone
Speaking to Newsday earlier this week, LNA President Rafael Tlali, indicated that the prevalence of the virus among their members is growing rapidly.
Tlali indicated that, the growing virus amongst health professionals has worried them and pushed them to do something to protect their members.
Since we have been complaining to government for a long time about our working conditions, all to no avail, we have decided we go straight to the Royal Palace for intervention. We came back with heightened hopes after the reception we got from the Royal family where the King and Queen gave us positive response by committing the Sentebale Facility in Thaba Bosiu for us to use as quarantine facility for our members, he said.
The President indicated that it has been a while since health professionals asked the government to have a special service for healthcare workers during this period but they did not succeed.
It is a well-known fact that we are the frontliners in the fight against the pandemic hence we are at an increased risk of infection, although we are still allowed to return to our families after work, thus endangering their lives too, he said.
The facility is at Thaba Bosiu and will be furnished with equipment that will help in the fight against Covid-19 related illnesses, hence we are working tirelessly to ensure that the facility is up-and-running as soon as possible, he said.
Tlali indicated that some of the things are still confidential and would like not to disclose their potential sponsor as for now.
Meanwhile, it had been rumoured that the international development partners, particularly the American Embassy would be the funders of the initiative to cover other needs.
This was, however, not endorsed by the Americans who said they had heard through the grapevine that LNA was intent on soliciting their support for the initiative.
Spokesperson for the US Embassy in Lesotho, Jasmine White, told this publication that they await detailed information from the health workers regarding their needs.
We await further information from the Lesotho Nurses Association regarding the specifics of their request for support from the Government of Lesotho and other international partners to assist front-line medical workers and healthcare professionals in Lesotho said White.
