Chronicle Editor
Thupeyo Muleya, Beitbridge Bureau
ONE hundred and twenty-nine people quarantined in Beitbridge after returning from South Africa have received medication for chronic illnesses.
According to Beitbridge District Medical Officer (DMO), Dr Lenos Samhere the returnees were being given medication on arrival in the country.
He said between April 1 and June 16 they had attended to 129 people suffering from various chronic illnesses at the Beitbridge Quarantine and Isolation Centre.
“During the period under review we attended to 41 patients seeking medication for hypertension, nine for diabetes mellitus and 57 for anti-retroviral drugs,” said Dr Samhere. “Several others had other conditions including; heart problems, asthma, stroke, TB, Kaposi Sarcoma, mental illness and anxiety disorders. We also handled one delivery after attending to four pregnant women and we also admitted two people one for TB and HIV/Aids and another with a heart problem”.
The DMO said although they had medication for most ailments, stocks were dwindling.
Since opening in April, the Beitbridge Quarantine and Isolation Centre has received 4 326 Zimbabweans from South Africa and these have been transported to various provincial quarantine centres by Government. The centre has a carrying capacity of 150 under mandatory quarantine.
Twenty-nine people who tested positive for Covid-19 are on isolation. At least 300 000 Zimbabweans are in South Africa on the Zimbabwe Exemption Permit (ZEP).
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