COVID-19 overwhelms healthcare sector as 168 nurses test positive

Botswana Nurses Union (BONU) President, Obonolo Rahube is a worried man about the state of affairs. “This is one of the most testing times of our profession,” he told Mmegi this week. “Our regions are recording high numbers of Covid. “Our members’ lives are at risk because they are trying hard to save other people’s lives as this is the nature of their job,”he said.

According to BONU statistics, in Kgalagadi 24 nurses tested positive, another 43 in Francistown, Lobatse/Molepolole 31, Selebe-Phikwe/Bobonong 20 and Gaborone 50. All the cases are related to nurses carrying out their duties. “What is most painful to our members is that they are now forced to work long hours due to the current workload which has worsened the situation,” Rahube said.