Maintain support for male circumcision - MoH

MARANYANE NGWANAAMOTHO
Staff Writer | Thursday January 14, 2010 00:00

The acting chief public relations officer at the ministry, Temba Sibanda, says that the number of clients who are being circumcised has increased since the safe male circumcision campaign started.

The safe male circumcision service was introduced to complement the HIV prevention programme.

According to Sibanda more than 4,000 men have been circumcised since the beginning of the campaign.  'This indicates that more people are receptive to the messages, and we encourage them to keep on doing so, as well as pass the message to other people' he said.

Sibanda says that male circumcision is a procedure that has been performed in both public and private facilities even before its introduction as an additional strategy for HIV prevention. He encourages men to visit all primary and district government hospitals, and some clinics like Ntshe clinic in Francistown, Block 6 clinic in Gaborone, Tlokweng Clinic, Boipelego Clinic in Serowe, Tapologo in Selebi-Phikwe, Kang and Tonota clinics to book for operations. He said it is safer to go to these clinics and hospitals for safer circumcisions rather than to go for other alternative services, which could lead to disease infections, and even death. 'The facilities continue to book clients who come for safe male circumcision services,' he said. Sibanda warned that there could be challenges in terms of inadequate resources as the government is still strengthening the system, but encouraged men not to be impatient but to go for their appointments. However, says Sibanda, the facilities are currently coping with the number of clients they book. 

'Though current facilities are enough to perform safe male circumcision services, the government, will keep on expanding the number of clinics in different locations to get to outreach areas and communities,' Sibanda said.