Chronicle Editor
Andile Tshuma/Mthabisi Tshuma, Chronicle Reporters
THE Bulawayo City Council has followed up on more than 1 690 people who came into the city between February and April, in a Covid-19 tracing exercise.
The assistant director of the health services Department Dr Khulamuzi Nyathi during a donations’ handover ceremony at Thorngrove Infectious Diseases Hospital, said the Rapid Response Team in the city had collected 196 specimens from 200 Covid-19 suspects.
“The rapid response team has investigated over 200 scares, collected 196 specimens, and 186 of them have tested negative. The rapid response team started working in February, with one team, then we had two teams, now we have five teams and we are working to increase the number of our teams to seven, so that we are able to give services. We also have the surveillance team that actually follows up those people that have come into the country from outside. Of the 1 774 visitors that came in our teams have followed up 1 693 of the people while 88 are still being followed up,” he said.
Meanwhile, touched by the plight of Thorngrove Infectious Diseases Hospital, more organisations in the city have donated various items to help the hospital deal with the Covid-19 pandemic.
Thorngrove Infectious Diseases Hospital is the only operational isolation centre in the city and is expected to accommodate mild cases of patients in the southern region provinces.
Nedbank Zimbabwe yesterday donated 400 face masks, 300 gloves and 50 litres of sanitiser as part of its social responsibility programme towards fighting the spread of Covid-19.
Handing over the donation to the hospital yesterday, Nedbank general manager Mr Kenneth Kapondoro said the donation showed commitment to the city the bank serves and the institution’s zeal to fight the novel coronavirus.
“It is indeed a pleasure to be part of the national fight against this pandemic that has wreaked havoc across the world.
“As Nedbank Zimbabwe, it is our social responsibility to give back to the communities in which we operate,” said Mr Kapondoro.
Mr Kapondoro said the bank was in the process of partnering other organisations to source more resources in the fight against Covid-19.
The financial institution thanked frontline workers and urged them to continue with their selfless commitment.
Amavevane Sports Club, Value Gas, Solatech Marketing, Digitech Advertising and I-Am-4-Bulawayo-Fighting-Covid-19 Trust (IAFCT), also presented an assortment of goods to the hospital yesterday.
Amavevane Sports Club donated groceries worth $25 000, while Value Gas presented a four-plate gas stove along with a gas canister. Solatech and Digitech donated hydrogen peroxide, a disinfectant, and hand sanitisers while IAFCT brought a donation of masks, gloves and hand sanitisers.
Accepting the donation, Bulawayo mayor Councillor Solomon Mguni thanked residents and said the donation was not just for the hospital but for the entire city.
“We thank the various business community members and other organisations in the city for the continued support. Today, we thank Amavevane, Value Gas, Solatech Marketing, Digitech Advertising and I-Am-4-Bulawayo for seeing it fit to join in the fight and provide items that are sorely needed at such a time. Such a spirit should go on, even beyond the Covid-19 pandemic,” said the mayor. — @mthabisi_mthire./ @andile_tshuma
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