Nurse brings hope to home-based care patients
Nnasaretha Kgamanyane | Friday September 27, 2019 11:48
Monyatsi, who works with Kweneng West DHMT Community Home Based Care (CHBC) as a coordinator, told Mmegi that the project was important for beneficiaries who were mostly people that were unable to fend and provide for themselves due to debilitating conditions.
“In 1995 the government of Botswana established the CHBC programme to complement the overstretched health system in caring for terminally ill patients including people living with HIV/AIDS. To ensure continuity of care, the programme has been integrated into existing primary health care structures and health protocols,” she said.
She explained that the programme works hand-in-hand with several departments within and outside of the health ministry.
She added that it extends to having volunteers from the community who help take care of clients at home to provide better health care. She also said the Kweneng West Sub District is among the poorest districts in the country therefore making the community vulnerable and terribly under privileged.
Even though the district is facing the deeply saddening situation, Monyatsi pointed out that volunteers were available and ready to service, but the equipment was not enough. She stated that they had patients with different needs who all required assistance to better their health and quality of life.
She said some were extended families with a single food basket to feed everyone, some slept on unfloored huts, literally on top of the soil, some houses did not have windows when others had no roofs and more others had no blankets nor enough clothes.
Others needed wheelchairs to access health facilities. She also said they had four clients that needed shelter as they did not have appropriate shelter that could enable them to survive harsh weather conditions.
Those patients live at Kgesakwe, Malwelwe, Kaudwane and Botlhapatlou.
“The project intends to assist all the enrolled 105 patients and some needy families in the district. The beneficiaries of the project are all in Kweneng West Health district from 25 villages we are covering. It aims at improving community participation in health care and to particularly gather resources such as food, blankets, clothing, shelter and any other assistance for all the clients.”
“We kindly request for donations of the above resources as well as any volunteerism work for preparations of the donation day such as marquees, PA system, transportation of beneficiaries and others,” she pleaded.
Monyatsi further explained that the health index of an individual relied on several factors such as food; clean water, spiritual support as well as access to care.
She said their patients were individuals who were unable to work for themselves and their families were financially incapacitated to provide basic needs to meet the government’s efforts through social welfare services.
Even though the project is new, she said that they intend for it to kick-start a long-term relationship with communities in the care of patients. The donation handover will be on November 8, 2019 in Letlhakeng.